Scientists discover the second alignment plane of our solar system
A study of comet motions indicates that the Solar System has a second alignment plane.
Analytical investigation of the orbits of long-period comets shows that...
Scientists precisely measure total amount of matter in the universe
A top goal in cosmology is to precisely measure the total amount of matter in the universe, a daunting exercise for even the most...
Scientists find why Jupiter’s storms behave so strangely
At the south pole of Jupiter lurks a striking sight—even for a gas giant planet covered in colorful bands that sports a red spot...
Remnants of an ancient asteroid shed new light on the early solar system
Researchers have shaken up a once accepted timeline for cataclysmic events in the early solar system.
About 4.5 Ga (giga-anum, or billion years ago), as...
New analysis of black hole reveals a wobbling shadow
In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration delivered the first image of a black hole, revealing M87*—the supermassive object in the center of the...
Supermassive black holes are spinning like crazy, says study
New observational research suggests that supermassive black holes — the mysterious, light-swallowing objects at the heart of nearly all large galaxies — are spinning...
Scientists find an Earth-sized pi planet with a 3.14-day orbit
In a delightful alignment of astronomy and mathematics, scientists at MIT and elsewhere have discovered a "pi Earth" -- an Earth-sized planet that zips...
Jupiter’s moons may keep each other toasty
Interactions between Jupiter’s moons may bear more responsibility for their warm interiors than heating from Jupiter alone, researchers report.
Jupiter’s moons are hot.
Well, hotter than...
How planetary nebulae get their shapes
About 7.5 billion years from now, our sun will have converted most of its hydrogen fuel into helium through fusion, and then burned most...
Astronomers capture stellar winds in unprecedented detail
Astronomers present an explanation for the mesmerising shapes of planetary nebulae.
The discovery is based on an extraordinary set of observations of stellar winds around...