https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/kuiper_belt/ Read science articles on the Kuiper Belt, including the latest news on Pluto, Eris, Sedna, Quaoar and other Kuiper Belt objects. en-us Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:08:15 EDT Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:08:15 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/kuiper_belt/ 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/2026/04/260406192917.htm Earth may have won a cosmic chemistry lottery. Researchers found that during the planet’s earliest formation, oxygen had to be in an extremely narrow “Goldilocks zone” for two life-essential elements, phosphorus and nitrogen, to stay where life could use them. Too much or too little oxygen, and those ingredients could be lost or trapped deep inside the planet. This could reshape the search for life by showing that water alone is not enough. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:36:59 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192917.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/2026/04/260403224454.htm Dying stars may be wiping out nearby giant planets as they expand into red giants. Astronomers found that these close-in planets become increasingly rare around more evolved stars, suggesting many have already been swallowed. The likely cause is a gravitational tug that drags planets inward until they break apart or fall into the star. It’s a dramatic glimpse into the chaotic final stages of planetary systems. Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:21:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403224454.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260326075618.htm Scientists have uncovered a surprising way to study the harsh space weather around young M dwarf stars. Mysterious dips in starlight turned out to be massive rings of plasma swirling in the stars’ magnetic fields. These structures act like built-in space weather monitors, revealing how energetic particles affect nearby planets. The findings could reshape how we think about whether planets around these common stars can survive—or even host life. Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:53:17 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260326075618.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/2026/03/260325005926.htm Astronomers have narrowed down the cosmic search for life, identifying fewer than 50 rocky planets among thousands of known exoplanets that may have the right conditions to support life. Using new data from ESA’s Gaia mission and NASA archives, researchers pinpointed worlds in the “habitable zone,” where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist. Some of the most intriguing targets include nearby systems like TRAPPIST-1 and Proxima Centauri, offering tantalizing possibilities just dozens of light-years away. Wed, 25 Mar 2026 03:56:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260325005926.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/2026/02/260222085206.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/2026/02/260213223857.htm Astronomers have uncovered a distant planetary system that flips a long-standing rule of planet formation on its head. Around the small red dwarf star LHS 1903, scientists expected to find rocky planets close in and gas giants farther out — the same pattern seen in our own Solar System and hundreds of others. And at first, that’s exactly what they saw. But new observations revealed a surprise: the outermost planet appears to be rocky, not gaseous. Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:38:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260213223857.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/2026/01/260131084138.htm Jupiter’s swirling storms have concealed its true makeup for centuries, but a new model is finally peeling back the clouds. Researchers found the planet likely holds significantly more oxygen than the Sun, a key clue to how Jupiter—and the rest of the solar system—came together. The study also reveals that gases move through Jupiter’s atmosphere much more slowly than scientists once thought. Together, the findings reshape our understanding of the solar system’s largest planet. Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:28:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084138.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084135.htm A young star called V1298 Tau is giving astronomers a front-row seat to the birth of the galaxy’s most common planets. Four massive but extremely low-density worlds orbiting the star appear to be inflated precursors of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. By watching how the planets subtly tug on one another, scientists measured their masses and confirmed they are far puffier than expected. The system reveals how these planets dramatically shrink and transform as they age. Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:16:06 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084135.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260126075846.htm Webb’s latest image of the Helix Nebula reveals a dramatic close-up of a dying star shedding its outer layers. The detailed view highlights glowing knots of gas shaped by fast-moving stellar winds colliding with older material. Changes in color trace a shift from scorching hot gas near the center to cooler regions farther out. The scene captures how stellar death helps supply the building blocks for future worlds. Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:32:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260126075846.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034125.htm New experiments reveal that protein precursors can form naturally in deep space under extreme cold and radiation. Scientists found that simple amino acids bond into peptides on interstellar dust, long before stars and planets exist. This challenges the idea that complex life chemistry only happens on planets. It also boosts the odds that life-friendly ingredients are widespread across the universe. Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:18:29 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034125.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/2026/01/260101160859.htm Scientists have discovered a rogue planet roaming the Milky Way after combining observations from Earth and a space telescope. This rare dual perspective allowed them to weigh the planet and pinpoint where it lies in the galaxy. With a mass similar to Saturn, the planet likely formed around a star before being thrown out. The finding opens a new window into how planets are lost to interstellar space. Sun, 04 Jan 2026 07:44:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260101160859.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/2025/12/251215025319.htm Hot Jupiters were once cosmic oddities, but unraveling how they moved so close to their stars has remained a stubborn mystery. Scientists have long debated whether these giants were violently flung inward or peacefully drifted through their birth disks. A new approach from researchers in Tokyo cracks open this puzzle by using the timescale of orbital circularization as a diagnostic. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 04:13:38 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251215025319.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/2025/12/251210092013.htm Uranus and Neptune may not be the icy worlds we’ve long imagined. A new Swiss-led study uses innovative hybrid modeling to reveal that these planets could just as easily be dominated by rock as by water-rich ices. The findings also help explain their bizarre, multi-poled magnetic fields and open the door to a wider range of possible interior structures. But major uncertainties remain, and only future space missions will be able to uncover what truly lies beneath their blue atmospheres. Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:50:07 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251210092013.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209043044.htm Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have captured dramatic helium streams pouring off the super-puff exoplanet WASP-107b, revealing a world with an enormously inflated, weakly bound atmosphere under intense stellar heat. The detection of helium, water, and various chemical compounds—alongside the surprising absence of methane—paints a picture of a planet that formed far from its star but later migrated inward, where scorching radiation now strips its gases into space. Wed, 10 Dec 2025 02:10:18 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209043044.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/2025/11/251113071618.htm A newly detected super-Earth just 20 light-years away is giving scientists one of the most promising chances yet to search for life beyond our solar system. The discovery of the exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of its star was made possible by advanced spectrographs designed at Penn State and by decades of observations from telescopes around the world. Thu, 13 Nov 2025 09:50:14 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251113071618.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112111035.htm Simulations reveal that Jupiter’s rapid growth disrupted the early solar system, creating rings where new planetesimals formed much later than expected. These late-forming bodies match the ages and chemistry of chondrite meteorites found on Earth. The findings also help explain why Earth and the other rocky planets remained near 1 AU rather than plunging inward. Thu, 13 Nov 2025 04:01:23 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112111035.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112011841.htm Scientists have identified three Earth-sized planets orbiting two stars in the TOI-2267 system. Remarkably, planets transit around both stars — a first in astronomy. The system’s compact, cold nature defies conventional theories of planetary formation. Future studies using JWST and other advanced telescopes could reveal what these worlds are truly made of. Wed, 12 Nov 2025 01:18:41 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112011841.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/2025/11/251106003158.htm Astronomers have discovered that aging stars may be devouring their closest giant planets as they swell into red giants. Using NASA’s TESS telescope to study nearly half a million stars, scientists found far fewer close-orbiting planets around older, expanded stars—clear evidence that many have already been destroyed. Thu, 06 Nov 2025 04:34:01 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251106003158.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251027224915.htm NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first detailed look at a carbon-rich disk surrounding the exoplanet CT Cha b, located about 625 light-years from Earth. The observations reveal a possible “moon factory,” where dust and gas could be coalescing into new moons. The planet orbits a young star only 2 million years old, and the disk’s composition offers rare insight into how moons and planets form in the early stages of a solar system’s life. Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:43:01 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251027224915.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251015032307.htm Astronomers are investigating a strange class of exoplanets known as eccentric warm Jupiters — massive gas giants that orbit their stars in unexpected, elongated paths. Unlike their close-orbiting “hot Jupiter” cousins, these planets seem to follow mysterious rules, aligning neatly with their stars despite their bizarre trajectories. Theories suggest that companion planets, surrounding nebulas, or even stellar waves could be shaping these odd orbits in ways never seen before. Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:51:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251015032307.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251003033917.htm Astronomers have uncovered a runaway feeding frenzy in a rogue planet drifting freely through space, devouring six billion tonnes of gas and dust every second. Located 620 light-years away in the Chamaeleon constellation, the object, Cha 1107-7626, is growing at the fastest rate ever seen in any planet. The dramatic surge in mass revealed evidence of strong magnetic fields and changing chemistry, including water vapor, previously only observed in young stars. Fri, 03 Oct 2025 03:39:17 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251003033917.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034246.htm For decades, Uranus baffled scientists because it seemed to have no internal heat. Now, new computer modeling shows the planet actually emits more energy than it receives from the Sun. This subtle warmth suggests Uranus’ story is more complex than previously thought, offering fresh clues about its violent past and about exoplanets similar in size. Tue, 30 Sep 2025 03:42:46 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034246.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/2025/09/250928095654.htm Scientists have shown that Earth’s basic chemistry solidified within just three million years of the Solar System’s formation. Initially, the planet was barren and inhospitable, missing water and carbon compounds. A colossal collision with Theia likely changed everything, bringing the essential ingredients for life. The study highlights that habitability may hinge on rare chance events. Mon, 29 Sep 2025 03:39:31 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250928095654.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/2025/09/250920214427.htm NASA has confirmed 6,000 exoplanets, marking a major milestone in humanity’s quest to understand other worlds. From gas giants hugging their stars to planets covered in lava or clouds of gemstones, the diversity of discoveries is staggering. With upcoming missions like the Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory, scientists are getting closer to detecting Earth-like planets, and possibly signs of life. Sat, 20 Sep 2025 21:44:27 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250920214427.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250918225006.htm A new study challenges the dream of water-rich “Hycean” planets like K2-18b, suggesting that most sub-Neptunes lose their water deep into their interiors during formation. Instead of vast oceans, these worlds likely retain only a few percent of water at the surface. Fri, 19 Sep 2025 01:47:38 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250918225006.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/2025/09/250916221838.htm Late-stage planetary collisions reshaped Earth and its neighboring planets, delivering water, altering their atmospheres, and influencing their tectonics. New findings suggest these violent impacts were central to both planetary diversity and the origins of habitability. Tue, 16 Sep 2025 22:18:38 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250916221838.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/2025/09/250903075205.htm Spotting Earth-like planets is nearly impossible with conventional telescopes, but researchers propose a bold fix: a rectangular design that can separate a planet’s faint glow from its blinding star. This approach could uncover dozens of nearby worlds that might host life. Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:01:31 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250903075205.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250902085152.htm Astronomers using ALMA have discovered that planet-forming discs are not flat and serene but subtly warped, reshaping our understanding of how planets form. These slight tilts, similar to those seen among planets in our Solar System, suggest that planetary systems emerge in more chaotic and dynamic conditions than once believed. The findings point to new connections between disc warps, gas flow, turbulence, and the feeding of young stars, raising exciting questions about the forces shaping worlds across the cosmos. Tue, 02 Sep 2025 22:56:49 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250902085152.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250902085004.htm A new model called StarryStarryProcess lets scientists map star spots with precision, improving how exoplanets are studied. By factoring in both transits and stellar rotation, it provides richer details about stars and their influence on planetary signals. Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:25:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250902085004.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250830001148.htm Mars isn’t the neatly layered world we once imagined — its mantle is filled with ancient, jagged fragments left over from colossal impacts billions of years ago. Seismic data from NASA’s InSight mission revealed that these buried shards, some up to 4 km wide, are still preserved beneath the planet’s stagnant crust, acting as a geological time capsule. Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:37:17 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250830001148.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