Exactly how massive is the Milky Way?

How do you weigh a galaxy? It's an astronomical challenge, particularly if it's the galaxy you call home. It turns out there are several ways to get a handle on the mass of the Milky Way, and a recent study posted on the ...

Second ring found around dwarf planet Quaoar

A large international team of astronomers has discovered that the dwarf planet Quaoar is circled by a second ring. In their study, accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the group discovered the ...

A new ring system discovered in our solar system

Scientists have discovered a new ring system around a dwarf planet on the edge of the solar system. The ring system orbits much further out than is typical for other ring systems, calling into question current theories of ...

Discovery of new ice may change our understanding of water

Researchers at UCL and the University of Cambridge have discovered a new type of ice that more closely resembles liquid water than any other known ices and that may rewrite our understanding of water and its many anomalies.

Phobos surface striations tell a story of its rupturing interior

Phobos, the 22-km diameter innermost moon of Mars, is a groovy body. Unlike its little brother Deimos, Phobos has developed a striking pattern of parallel linear features running across its surface. These grooves are a distinctive ...

How planets can be an anti-aging formula for stars

Planets can force their host stars to act younger than their age, according to a new study of multiple systems using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This may be the best evidence to date that some planets apparently slow ...

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