https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/xena/ Eris News. Eris, formerly known as Xena, is the largest dwarf planet in our solar system. Eris has a moon known as Dysnomia. en-us Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:20:12 EDT Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:20:12 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/xena/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260409101101.htm A mysterious glow of gamma rays at the center of the Milky Way has long hinted at dark matter, but the lack of similar signals in smaller dwarf galaxies has cast doubt on that idea. Now, researchers propose a bold twist: dark matter might not be a single particle at all, but a mix of two different types that must interact with each other to produce detectable signals. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:34:50 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260409101101.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192905.htm A strange “forbidden” planet spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope is turning planetary science on its head. TOI-5205 b, a Jupiter-sized world orbiting a small, cool star, has an atmosphere surprisingly poor in heavy elements—even less enriched than its own star, which defies current theories of how giant planets form. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:28:14 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192905.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260325041723.htm A star you can see with the naked eye has kept astronomers guessing for decades with its unusually powerful X-rays. Now, thanks to highly precise observations from Japan’s XRISM space telescope, scientists have finally uncovered the source: a hidden white dwarf companion pulling in material and generating extreme heat. This discovery not only solves a 50-year-old mystery surrounding Gamma Cassiopeiae, but also confirms the existence of a long-predicted type of binary star system. Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:51:37 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260325041723.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260322020255.htm Astronomers have uncovered surprising evidence of a thick atmosphere surrounding TOI-561 b, a scorching, fast-orbiting rocky planet once thought too extreme to hold onto any gas. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, researchers found the planet is far cooler than expected for a bare rock, hinting at a heat-distributing atmosphere above a churning magma ocean. This strange world—where a year lasts just over 10 hours and one side is locked in eternal daylight—may even be rich in volatile materials, behaving like a “wet lava ball.” Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:19:46 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260322020255.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317190802.htm Astronomers have identified a strange new kind of exoplanet that challenges how scientists classify worlds beyond our Solar System. The planet, L 98-59 d, appears to contain a vast ocean of molten rock beneath its surface that traps large amounts of sulfur deep inside. Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope revealed unusual sulfur-rich gases in its atmosphere and a surprisingly low density for its size. Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:13:24 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317190802.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064449.htm Kepler-51d is a giant, ultra-light “super-puff” planet wrapped in an unusually thick haze that’s blocking scientists from seeing what it’s made of. Observations from JWST revealed that this haze may be one of the largest ever detected, possibly stretching as wide as Earth itself. The planet’s low density and close orbit don’t match existing models of how gas giants form or survive. Now, researchers are left with more questions than answers about how such a strange world came to be. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:47:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064449.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064440.htm A mysterious metal-rich asteroid called Psyche has been baffling scientists for over two centuries, and its true origin remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in planetary science. Is it the exposed core of a failed planet, or a chaotic mix of rock and metal forged through countless violent collisions? To find out, researchers simulated how a massive crater near Psyche’s north pole formed, revealing that the asteroid’s internal “porosity” — how much empty space it contains — may hold the key to its secrets. Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:19:15 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064440.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030452.htm Mars didn’t always look like the barren world we see today. Over billions of years, the Sun’s solar wind stripped away much of its atmosphere, helping transform it from a warmer, wetter planet into a frozen desert. NASA’s twin-spacecraft ESCAPADE mission aims to watch this process in action by measuring how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ fragile magnetic environment. The findings could reveal how Mars lost its habitability—and help prepare humans for future missions there. Sat, 14 Mar 2026 03:04:52 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030452.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260222085206.htm Far beyond Neptune, in the frozen depths of the Kuiper Belt, many ancient objects oddly resemble giant snowmen made of ice and rock. For years, scientists wondered how these delicate two-lobed shapes could form without violent collisions tearing them apart. Now researchers at Michigan State University have recreated the process in a powerful new simulation, showing that simple gravitational collapse can naturally produce these cosmic “snowmen.” Mon, 23 Feb 2026 02:47:10 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260222085206.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212025607.htm A newly identified planet candidate, HD 137010 b, looks strikingly Earth-like in size and orbit — but it may be colder than Mars due to its dimmer star. If it has a thick enough atmosphere, though, this icy world could still surprise us. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:32:43 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212025607.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073019.htm A distant star system with four super-sized gas giants has revealed a surprise. Thanks to JWST’s powerful vision, astronomers detected sulfur in their atmospheres — a chemical clue that they formed like Jupiter, by slowly building solid cores. That’s unexpected because these planets are far bigger and orbit much farther from their star than models once allowed. Wed, 11 Feb 2026 07:30:19 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073019.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260108190339.htm Using NASA’s IXPE, astronomers captured an unprecedented view of a white dwarf star actively feeding on material from a companion. The data revealed giant columns of ultra-hot gas shaped by the star’s magnetic field and glowing in intense X-rays. These features are far too small to image directly, but X-ray polarization allowed scientists to map them with surprising precision. The results open new doors for understanding extreme binary star systems. Thu, 08 Jan 2026 19:03:39 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260108190339.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260106224642.htm Around the bright star Fomalhaut, astronomers spotted glowing clouds of debris left behind by colossal collisions between large space rocks. One of these clouds was even mistaken for a planet before slowly fading away. Seeing two such events in just two decades hints that violent impacts may be surprisingly common in young star systems. It’s like watching planets-in-the-making collide before our eyes. Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:21:49 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260106224642.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004146.htm A newly discovered exoplanet is rewriting the rules of what planets can be. Orbiting a city-sized neutron star, this Jupiter-mass world has a bizarre carbon-rich atmosphere filled with soot clouds and possibly diamonds at its core. Its extreme gravity stretches it into a lemon shape, and it completes a full orbit in under eight hours. Scientists are stunned — no known theory explains how such a planet could exist. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:14:09 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004146.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225035346.htm Astronomers tracking a nearby star system thought they had spotted an exoplanet reflecting light from its star. Then it vanished. Even stranger, another bright object appeared nearby. After studying years of Hubble Space Telescope data, scientists realized they were not seeing planets at all, but the glowing debris left behind by two massive collisions between asteroid-sized bodies. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 17:02:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225035346.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251221043227.htm Astronomers have uncovered a massive hidden planet and a rare “failed star” by combining ultra-precise space data with some of the sharpest ground-based images ever taken. Using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaiʻi, the OASIS survey tracked subtle stellar wobbles to pinpoint where unseen worlds were lurking—then captured them directly. Sun, 21 Dec 2025 04:32:27 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251221043227.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251213032607.htm Webb’s latest observations reveal a hellish world cloaked in an unexpected atmosphere: TOI-561 b, an ultra-hot rocky planet racing around its star in under 11 hours. Despite being blasted by intense radiation that should strip it bare, the planet appears to host a thick layer of gases above a global magma ocean, making it far less dense than expected. Sun, 14 Dec 2025 08:01:33 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251213032607.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251211100625.htm TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized world in the system’s habitable zone, is drawing scientific attention as researchers hunt for signs of an atmosphere—and potentially life-supporting conditions. Early James Webb observations hint at methane, but the signals may instead come from the star itself, a small ultracool M dwarf whose atmospheric behavior complicates interpretation. Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:22:49 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251211100625.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251206030750.htm SPHERE’s detailed images of dusty rings around young stars offer a rare glimpse into the hidden machinery of planet formation. These bright arcs and faint clouds reveal where tiny planet-building bodies collide, break apart, and reshape their systems. Some disks contain sharp edges or unusual patterns that hint at massive planets still waiting to be seen, while others resemble early versions of our own asteroid belt or Kuiper belt. Together, the images form one of the most complete views yet of how newborn solar systems evolve and where undiscovered worlds may be hiding. Sat, 06 Dec 2025 03:24:18 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251206030750.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251122044338.htm Researchers have pinpointed a super-Earth in the habitable zone of a nearby M-dwarf star only 18 light-years away. Sophisticated instruments detected the planet’s gentle tug on its star, hinting at a rocky world that could hold liquid water. Future mega-telescopes may be able to directly image it—something impossible today. Sun, 23 Nov 2025 01:38:58 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251122044338.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251114041208.htm Scientists have finally confirmed a powerful coronal mass ejection from another star, using LOFAR radio data paired with XMM-Newton’s X-ray insights. The eruption blasted into space at extraordinary speeds, strong enough to strip atmospheres from close-orbiting worlds. This suggests planets around active red dwarfs may be far less hospitable than hoped. Fri, 14 Nov 2025 09:07:09 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251114041208.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251109013240.htm Astronomers have discovered phosphine gas in the atmosphere of an ancient brown dwarf, Wolf 1130C, using the James Webb Space Telescope. The finding is puzzling because phosphine, a potential biosignature, has been missing from other similar objects. The detection may reveal how phosphorus behaves in low-metal environments or how stellar remnants like white dwarfs enrich their surroundings with this crucial element. Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:36:29 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251109013240.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034237.htm Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope are unraveling the mysteries of TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized exoplanet 40 light years away that could harbor liquid water. Early data suggests hints of an atmosphere, but much remains uncertain. Researchers have already ruled out a hydrogen-rich primordial atmosphere, pointing instead to the possibility of a secondary atmosphere that could sustain oceans or ice. Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:28:50 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034237.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250924012241.htm Astronomers detected a black hole displaced nearly a kiloparsec from the center of a dwarf galaxy 230 million light-years away. Unlike most, it is actively feeding and producing radio jets, making it one of the most convincing off-nuclear cases ever confirmed. The discovery reveals that black holes can grow and shape galaxies even when not in the core, reshaping theories of cosmic evolution. Wed, 24 Sep 2025 23:23:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250924012241.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250917220954.htm Astronomers have detected the chemical fingerprint of a frozen, water-rich planetary fragment being devoured by a white dwarf star, offering the clearest evidence yet that icy, life-delivering objects exist beyond our Solar System. The find suggests fragments like comets and dwarf planets may be common ingredients of planetary systems. Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:09:54 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250917220954.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250912195117.htm For centuries, scientists have puzzled over globular clusters, the dense star systems that orbit galaxies without dark matter. Using ultra-detailed simulations, researchers recreated their origins and unexpectedly revealed a new class of cosmic object that bridges star clusters and dwarf galaxies. These “globular cluster-like dwarfs” may already exist in our Milky Way, offering fresh opportunities to study both dark matter and the earliest stars. Fri, 12 Sep 2025 22:52:21 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250912195117.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250911073147.htm Astronomers have uncovered the violent secret of V Sagittae, a white dwarf star consuming its companion in a spectacular feeding frenzy. This cosmic dance not only makes the system burn with unusual brilliance but also creates a massive gas halo, signaling its turbulent and doomed future. Scientists believe this frenzied interaction will eventually erupt in a dazzling supernova, visible even in broad daylight from Earth. Thu, 11 Sep 2025 22:18:44 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250911073147.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250910233533.htm Hubble has uncovered a rare ultra-massive white dwarf created in a violent star merger. Once thought to be ordinary, the star’s ultraviolet signature revealed its explosive history and hinted that such cosmic collisions may be surprisingly common. Wed, 10 Sep 2025 23:43:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250910233533.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250910000246.htm Astronomers studying an oddball brown dwarf called “The Accident” have finally spotted silane, a long-predicted silicon molecule missing from Jupiter and Saturn’s skies. Its ancient, oxygen-poor atmosphere allowed the molecule to form, offering new insight into how planetary atmospheres evolve. Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:02:46 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250910000246.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250908175506.htm Astronomers have directly spotted a rare young planet, WISPIT 2b, still forming within the gap of a dusty ringed disk around a star like our sun—something long theorized but never observed until now. Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:55:06 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250908175506.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250906155115.htm Astronomers have uncovered a massive new trans-Neptunian object, 2017 OF201, lurking at the edge of our solar system. With an orbit stretching 25,000 years and a size that may qualify it as a dwarf planet, this mysterious world challenges long-held assumptions about the “empty” space beyond Neptune. Its unusual trajectory sets it apart from other distant bodies and may even cast doubt on the controversial Planet Nine hypothesis. Sat, 06 Sep 2025 21:37:00 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250906155115.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250827010732.htm WISPIT 2b, a gas giant forming around a young Sun-like star, has been directly imaged for the first time inside a spectacular multi-ringed disk. Still glowing and actively accreting gas, the planet offers a unique opportunity to study planetary birth and evolution. Wed, 27 Aug 2025 01:07:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250827010732.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250814081821.htm NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has detected strong evidence for a giant planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A, the nearest Sun-like star to Earth. Located just 4 light-years away, this possible Saturn-mass world may travel between one and two times the distance from its star that Earth does from the Sun. The planet appears to lie in the habitable zone, though its gas giant nature makes it unlikely to host life. Thu, 14 Aug 2025 10:29:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250814081821.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250806094126.htm Hubble has helped uncover a white dwarf that’s likely the result of two stars crashing together. Carbon traces in its atmosphere tell a story of a cosmic merger, a rare phenomenon previously invisible in ordinary optical light. Thu, 07 Aug 2025 11:05:46 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250806094126.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250804084700.htm In a spectacular image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, the spiral galaxy NGC 1309 glows with cosmic elegance and hides a strange survivor. Mon, 04 Aug 2025 08:51:43 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250804084700.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250802022933.htm A bizarre planet defies cosmic norms: scientists have confirmed a giant planet orbiting in reverse around one star in a close binary system—an arrangement previously thought impossible. Using advanced tools, they discovered the companion star is a faint white dwarf that lost most of its mass billions of years ago. The team now believes this planet may be a rare second-generation world, born from or captured by the debris of its dying stellar neighbor. This find challenges traditional models of planet formation and opens a new chapter in exoplanetary science. Sat, 02 Aug 2025 02:29:33 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250802022933.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250723045706.htm Astronomers have likely witnessed a planet forming in real time, seen inside a spiral arm of the HD 135344B protoplanetary disc—exactly where theory predicted. The direct light detection is what sets this apart from previous hints of forming worlds. Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:57:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250723045706.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250713031447.htm Imagine a star powered not by nuclear fusion, but by one of the universe’s greatest mysteries—dark matter. Scientists have proposed the existence of “dark dwarfs,” strange glowing objects potentially lurking at the center of our galaxy. These stars might form when brown dwarfs absorb enough dark matter to prevent cooling, transforming into long-lasting beacons of invisible energy. A specific form of lithium could give them away, and if detected, these eerie objects might reveal the true nature of dark matter itself. Sun, 13 Jul 2025 13:31:35 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250713031447.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250713031445.htm New supercomputer simulations suggest the Milky Way could be surrounded by dozens more faint, undetected satellite galaxies—up to 100 more than we currently know. These elusive "orphan" galaxies have likely been stripped of their dark matter by the Milky Way’s gravity and hidden from view. If spotted by next-gen telescopes like the Rubin Observatory’s LSST, they could solidify our understanding of the Universe’s structure and deliver a stunning validation of the Lambda Cold Dark Matter model. Sun, 13 Jul 2025 11:33:06 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250713031445.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250710113159.htm In a bold step toward sustainable space travel, scientists are engineering a radically small, protein-rich rice that can grow in space. The Moon-Rice project, led by the Italian Space Agency in collaboration with three universities, aims to create crops that thrive in microgravity while boosting astronaut nutrition and well-being. Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:01:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250710113159.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250702214141.htm Astronomers studying the remnant SNR 0509-67.5 have finally caught a white dwarf in the act of a rare “double-detonation” supernova, where an initial helium blast on the star’s surface triggers a second, core-shattering explosion. Thu, 03 Jul 2025 00:57:48 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250702214141.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250611085304.htm Scientists have discovered a giant planet orbiting a tiny red dwarf star, something they believed wasn t even possible. The planet, TOI-6894b, is about the size of Saturn but orbits a star just a fifth the mass of our Sun. This challenges long-standing ideas about how big planets form, especially around small stars. Current theories can't fully explain how such a planet could have taken shape. Even more fascinating, this cold planet may have a rare kind of atmosphere rich in methane or even ammonia something we've never seen in an exoplanet before. Wed, 11 Jun 2025 08:53:04 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250611085304.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603213454.htm Astronomers have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects are likely to be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later this year. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 21:34:54 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603213454.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220616.htm For decades, scientists believed Vesta, one of the largest objects in our solar system's asteroid belt, wasn't just an asteroid and eventually concluded it was more like a planet with a crust, mantle and core. Now, new research flips this notion on its head. Astronomers reveals Vesta doesn't have a core. These findings startled researchers who, until that point, assumed Vesta was a protoplanet that never grew to a full planet. Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:06:16 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220616.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250422131330.htm A planet 140 light-years from Earth is rapidly coming apart due to its close proximity to its star. The roasting planet is effectively evaporating away: It sheds an enormous amount of surface minerals as it whizzes around its star. Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:13:30 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250422131330.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416151917.htm Astronomers have found a planet that orbits at an angle of 90 degrees around a rare pair of peculiar stars. This is the first time we have strong evidence for one of these 'polar planets' orbiting a stellar pair. Wed, 16 Apr 2025 15:19:17 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416151917.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250404122624.htm Astronomers have discovered an extremely rare, high mass, compact binary star system only ~150 light years away. These two stars are on a collision course to explode as a type 1a supernova, appearing 10 times brighter than the moon. Fri, 04 Apr 2025 12:26:24 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250404122624.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250318140858.htm Where do meteorites of different type come from? In a review paper, astronomers trace the impact orbit of observed meteorite falls to several previously unidentified source regions in the asteroid belt. Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:08:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250318140858.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250317163629.htm New modeling indicates the main belt asteroid (52246) Donaldjohanson may have formed about 150 million years ago when a larger parent asteroid broke apart; its orbit and spin properties have undergone significant evolution since. When NASA's Lucy spacecraft flies by this approximately three-mile-wide space rock on April 20, 2025, the data collected could provide independent insights on such processes based on its shape, surface geology and cratering history. Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:36:29 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250317163629.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250312124610.htm A white dwarf and a red dwarf star have been discovered closely orbiting each other emitting radio pulses every two hours. Their findings means we know it isn't just neutron stars that emit such pulses, but these are spaced unusually far apart. Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:46:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250312124610.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250305134803.htm Astronomers have for the first time observed a recurring nova outside of the Milky Way in near-infrared light. The data revealed highly unusual chemical emissions as well as one of the hottest temperatures ever reported for a nova, both indicative of an extremely violent eruption. Wed, 05 Mar 2025 13:48:03 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250305134803.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250304212337.htm The discovery of new exoplanets can help scientists understand how planets form and evolve. Tue, 04 Mar 2025 21:23:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250304212337.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250304143526.htm The puzzle of predicting how three gravitationally bound bodies move in space has challenged mathematicians for centuries, and has most recently been popularized in the novel and television show '3 Body Problem.' There's no problem, however, with what a team of researchers say is likely a stable trio of icy space rocks in the solar system's Kuiper Belt. Tue, 04 Mar 2025 14:35:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250304143526.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250227124837.htm Located 2.5 million light-years away, the majestic Andromeda galaxy appears to the naked eye as a faint, spindle-shaped object roughly the angular size of the full Moon. What backyard observers don't see is a swarm of nearly three dozen small satellite galaxies circling the Andromeda galaxy, like bees around a hive. Thu, 27 Feb 2025 12:48:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250227124837.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250225122035.htm A new study shows a water-rich mineral could explain the planet's color -- and hint at its wetter, more habitable past. Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:20:35 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250225122035.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250225122023.htm Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers investigate the extreme weather patterns and atmospheric properties of exoplanet LTT 9779 b. New JWST observations with NIRISS reveal a dynamic atmosphere: powerful winds sweep around the planet, shaping mineral clouds as they condense into a bright, white arc on the slightly cooler western side of the dayside. As these clouds move eastward, they evaporate under the intense heat, leaving the eastern dayside with clear skies. Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:20:23 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250225122023.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250219111416.htm Within the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument's early data, scientists have uncovered the largest samples ever of intermediate-mass black holes and dwarf galaxies hosting an active black hole, more than tripling the existing census of both. These large statistical samples will allow for more in-depth studies of the dynamics between dwarf galaxy evolution and black hole growth, and open up vast discovery potential surrounding the evolution of the Universe's earliest black holes. Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:14:16 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250219111416.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250218113643.htm Lobster-eye satellite Einstein Probe captured the X-ray flash from a very elusive celestial pair. The discovery opens a new way to explore how massive stars interact and evolve, confirming the unique power of the mission to uncover fleeting X-ray sources in the sky. Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:36:43 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250218113643.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250214123929.htm Asteroids that orbit close to the Earth inevitably cause us some anxiety due to the even remote possibility of a collision. But their proximity also offers ample opportunities to learn more about the universe. Ryugu, a 900-meter diameter asteroid in the Apollo belt, has recently proven useful in our search for signs of life's precursors elsewhere in our Solar System. A team of researchers has found evidence of salt minerals in samples recovered from Ryugu during the initial phase of Japan's Hayabusa2 mission. Fri, 14 Feb 2025 12:39:29 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250214123929.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250213143421.htm Astronomers used a 3D global computer model to compare the climates of exoplanets in different stellar and orbital configurations. They found that a planet orbiting a white dwarf star would offer a warmer climate than one orbiting a main sequence star. Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:34:21 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250213143421.htm