Jupiter was once twice its size—and helped shape the solar system
New research suggests that Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, was once even bigger—about twice its current size—and had a magnetic field...
Clouds could enhance the search for life on exoplanets
When searching for life in the Universe (aka. astrobiology), scientists use strategies that go by various names.
For example, there's the "follow the water" approach,...
After awesome launch, SpaceX’s Starship spins out of control
SpaceX’s Starship super-rocket got off to a great start today for its ninth flight test, but the second stage ran into a host of...
One star once orbited inside the other in this bizarre binary system
Binary star systems are pairs of stars held together by gravity, orbiting a common center of mass.
More than half of all stars in our...
How faraway planets like Planet Nine might have formed, new study reveals
A new study may finally explain how planets can end up orbiting their stars at extremely large distances—sometimes hundreds or even thousands of times...
How likely are habitable exo-moons
Of the roughly 6,000 exoplanets we've discovered, a significant number are in the apparent habitable zones of their stars.
Most are giant planets; either gas...
Far beyond Pluto: Scientists spot mysterious new world on solar system’s edge
Scientists have discovered a mysterious new object far beyond Neptune, and it could be one of the most distant dwarf planets ever found.
Named 2017...
Scientists may have solved the mystery of the moon’s missing magnetism
For decades, scientists have been puzzled by a strange feature of the Moon: while the Moon today has no magnetic field, some of the...
Is Venus hiding dangerous asteroids
Twenty years ago, the US Congress instructed NASA to find 90% of near-Earth asteroids threatening Earth.
They've made progress finding these asteroids that orbit the...
Is there life on distant planet K2-18b? Scientists say it’s too soon to tell
In April, the scientific world—and the public—was abuzz with the thrilling news that a distant planet called K2-18b might show signs of life.
Researchers from...