NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully collected data during its closest approach to the Sun, marking a significant milestone in solar science. The spacecraft, which has been looping around the Sun since its launch six years ago, has provided valuable insights into the solar wind and the Sun’s outer atmosphere. The data collected during the…
New computer simulations suggest that Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, may have formed through a “kiss-and-capture” collision, where the two bodies briefly joined up before settling into their current positions. This theory challenges previous ideas about the origin of Charon and could have implications for our understanding of the formation of other objects in…
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully skimmed the surface of the sun, coming within 6.1 million kilometers of the sun’s surface at a speed of 692,000 kilometers per hour. This historic flyby marks the culmination of six years in space for the probe, which has been studying the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, from the…
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have proposed a new theory to explain the mysterious lack of magnetic poles on Uranus and Neptune. According to the theory, the disorganized magnetic fields of the two ice giant planets may arise from a separation of the icy fluids that make up their interiors. This theory could…
The Perseverance Rover on Mars has made a groundbreaking discovery, uncovering the oldest rocks humans have ever seen and potentially evidence of a new setting that ancient Martian organisms could have inhabited. The rover has been exploring the Jezero Crater and has found rocks that are likely older than 4 billion years, making them the…
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery by detecting an astrosphere around a star similar to the sun. The astrosphere is a bubble of hot gas blown by a star’s stellar wind, which marks the edge of the solar system and protects planets from high-energy cosmic rays. This finding is significant as it provides insight into…
A pair of European Space Agency spacecraft, Proba-3, has been launched to create hundreds of artificial solar eclipses in orbit. This mission will allow scientists to study the elusive middle part of the sun’s atmosphere, which holds many of the sun’s most enduring mysteries. The satellites will fly together in lockstep, blocking the sun from…
Scientists have proposed a new theory about the origins of Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos. According to this theory, the moons may be the remains of an asteroid that was shredded by Mars’ gravity. This theory could help explain the moons’ unusual shapes and orbits. An upcoming mission to collect samples from Phobos may provide…
Scientists have discovered that Uranus’ unusual magnetic field and radiation belts, observed by Voyager 2 in 1986, may be due to a rare solar wind event that compressed the planet’s magnetosphere. This finding could explain several long-standing puzzles about Uranus and its moons, and may inform planning for future missions to the planet. Forecast for…
In a groundbreaking discovery, two independent studies have revealed that the brown dwarf Gliese 229 B is not a single object, but rather a pair of brown dwarfs. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of star formation and the existence of binary systems in the universe. The discovery was made possible by the…
