https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/pluto/ Dwarf Planet Pluto News. See images and read science articles on Pluto, Eris and other Kuiper Belt objects. en-us Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:05:11 EDT Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:05:11 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/pluto/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260312020101.htm Scientists have grown chickpeas in simulated moon soil, offering a promising step toward farming on the lunar surface. Researchers mixed moon-like regolith with worm-produced compost and helpful fungi that protect plants from toxic metals. The combination allowed chickpeas to grow and produce a harvest in soil that normally cannot support plant life. Scientists now need to confirm the crops are safe and nutritious for astronauts. Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:56:39 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260312020101.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260307213238.htm When NASA’s DART spacecraft deliberately crashed into the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, it did more than change the asteroid’s local orbit — it slightly shifted the path of the entire asteroid pair around the Sun. The impact blasted debris into space, doubling the force of the spacecraft’s hit and nudging the system’s solar orbit by a tiny but measurable amount. It marks the first time humans have altered the trajectory of a celestial object around the Sun. The result strengthens the case for using spacecraft impacts as a future planetary defense strategy. Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:12:54 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260307213238.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030646.htm Icy moons circling the outer planets may be far more dynamic—and explosive—than they appear. New research suggests that when heat from tidal forces melts their ice shells from below, the sudden drop in pressure could cause hidden oceans to boil beneath the surface. On smaller moons like Enceladus, Mimas, and Miranda, this process may help explain strange features such as Enceladus’ tiger stripes and Miranda’s towering cliffs. Mon, 02 Mar 2026 03:54:10 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030646.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260228093443.htm Jupiter’s icy moons may have been seeded with the chemical ingredients for life from the very beginning. An international team of scientists modeled how complex organic molecules—essential building blocks for biology—could have formed in the swirling disk of gas and dust around the young Sun and later been carried into Jupiter’s own moon-forming disk. Their results suggest that up to half of the icy material that built moons like Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto may have delivered freshly made organic compounds without being chemically destroyed. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 07:06:01 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260228093443.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260227071945.htm Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may have been born in a colossal cosmic crash. New research suggests Titan formed when two older moons slammed together hundreds of millions of years ago—an event so violent it reshaped Saturn’s entire moon system and may have indirectly sparked the formation of its iconic rings. Clues come from Titan’s unusual orbit, its surprisingly smooth surface, and the strange behavior of the tumbling moon Hyperion. Fri, 27 Feb 2026 07:19:45 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260227071945.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260226042445.htm Scientists at the University of Oxford have finally settled a decades-long mystery about the Moon’s magnetic field — and it turns out both sides were right. By reanalyzing Apollo mission rocks, they discovered that the Moon did occasionally generate an incredibly powerful magnetic field, even stronger than Earth’s — but only for fleeting bursts lasting thousands of years or less. Most of the time, the Moon’s magnetic field was weak. Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:03:17 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260226042445.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/2026/02/260221000303.htm For the first time, scientists have mapped Uranus’s upper atmosphere in three dimensions, tracking temperatures and charged particles up to 5,000 kilometers above the clouds. Webb’s sharp vision revealed glowing auroral bands and unexpected dark regions shaped by the planet’s wildly tilted magnetic field. Sat, 21 Feb 2026 02:31:36 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260221000303.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260218031532.htm Researchers have uncovered more than a thousand previously unknown tectonic ridges across the Moon’s dark plains, showing the Moon is still contracting and reshaping itself. These features are among the youngest geological structures on the lunar surface. Because they form through the same forces linked to past moonquakes, they could signal new seismic hotspots. Wed, 18 Feb 2026 07:49:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260218031532.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/2026/01/260124234535.htm NASA is moving into a new phase of space exploration, with major progress across human spaceflight, science missions, and advanced technology. In just one year, the agency has launched multiple crewed and science missions, test-flown new aircraft, and pushed forward plans for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. With Artemis II set to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, NASA is laying the groundwork not just for a return to the lunar surface, but for a sustained human presence in deep space. Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:25:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124234535.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122032004.htm NASA astronaut Suni Williams has retired after 27 years of service and a career defined by endurance, leadership, and firsts in space. She spent 608 days in orbit, completed nine spacewalks, and twice commanded the International Space Station. Williams flew on everything from the space shuttle to Boeing’s Starliner, playing a key role in shaping modern human spaceflight. Her legacy will influence future missions to the Moon and beyond. Thu, 22 Jan 2026 04:11:44 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122032004.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260120000311.htm Astronomers have captured the most dramatic view yet of a planet losing its atmosphere, watching the ultra-hot gas giant WASP-121b for an entire orbit with the James Webb Space Telescope. Instead of a single stream of escaping gas, the planet is wrapped in two colossal helium tails—one trailing behind like a comet, the other stretching ahead toward its star. Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:01:33 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260120000311.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116045344.htm SpaceX Crew-11 splashed down safely in the Pacific after more than five months in orbit aboard the International Space Station. The four astronauts completed over 140 experiments and traveled nearly 71 million miles around Earth. NASA brought the crew home earlier than planned due to a medical concern, with officials confirming the affected crew member is stable. The mission underscores how quickly today’s space programs can adapt while keeping astronauts safe. Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:53:44 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116045344.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/2026/01/260107221836.htm Europa’s buried ocean has made it one of the most exciting places to search for life beyond Earth. However, new calculations suggest its seafloor may be calm, cold, and largely inactive, with little energy to support living organisms. Unlike Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io, Europa experiences weaker tidal forces that fail to drive underwater geology. The ocean may exist, but it could be a very quiet place. Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:32:25 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107221836.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/2026/01/260104202730.htm Tiny bits of Earth’s atmosphere have been drifting to the moon for billions of years, guided by Earth’s magnetic field. Rather than blocking particles, the magnetic field can funnel them along invisible lines that sometimes stretch all the way to the moon. This explains mysterious gases found in Apollo samples and suggests lunar soil may hold a long-term archive of Earth’s history. It could also become a valuable resource for future lunar explorers. Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:47:06 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260104202730.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/2025/12/251228074458.htm Thanks to Einstein’s relativity, time flows differently on Mars than on Earth. NIST scientists have now nailed down the difference, showing that Mars clocks tick slightly faster—and fluctuate over the Martian year. These microsecond shifts could play a big role in future Mars navigation, communications, and even a solar-system-wide internet. It’s a small time gap with big consequences for space exploration. Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:54:08 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074458.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/2025/12/251220104621.htm For years, scientists thought Saturn’s moon Titan hid a global ocean beneath its frozen surface. A new look at Cassini data now suggests something very different: a thick, slushy interior with pockets of liquid water rather than an open sea. A subtle delay in how Titan deforms under Saturn’s gravity revealed this stickier structure. These slushy environments could still be promising places to search for life. Sat, 20 Dec 2025 10:52:08 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251220104621.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/2025/12/251209043044.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/2025/12/251205054743.htm Scientists have discovered that moonquakes, not meteoroids, are responsible for shifting terrain near the Apollo 17 landing site. Their analysis points to a still-active fault that has been generating quakes for millions of years. While the danger to short missions is low, long-term lunar bases could face increasing risk. The findings urge future planners to avoid building near scarps and to prioritize new seismic instruments. Sun, 07 Dec 2025 03:15:36 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251205054743.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251203084928.htm For thirty years, SOHO has watched the Sun from a stable perch in space, revealing the inner workings of our star and surviving crises that nearly ended the mission. Its long-term observations uncovered a single global plasma conveyor belt inside the Sun, detailed how solar brightness subtly shifts over the solar cycle, and turned SOHO into an unexpected comet-hunting champion with more than 5,000 discoveries. Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:03:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251203084928.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/2025/11/251117095650.htm Cutting-edge simulations show that Enceladus’ plumes are losing 20–40% less mass than earlier estimates suggested. The new models provide sharper insights into subsurface conditions that future landers may one day probe directly. Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:59:29 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251117095650.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/2025/11/251112011841.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/2025/11/251102011152.htm A team of astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to create the first 3D atmospheric map of an exoplanet. The fiery WASP-18b, a massive “ultra-hot Jupiter,” revealed striking temperature contrasts, including regions so hot they destroy water molecules. This pioneering eclipse mapping technique lets scientists visualize alien weather in unprecedented detail and could soon be applied to smaller, rocky planets. Sun, 02 Nov 2025 08:28:08 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251102011152.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/2025/10/251016223031.htm Scientists from NASA and Chalmers University have discovered that incompatible substances can mix on Titan’s icy surface, breaking the “like dissolves like” rule of chemistry. Under ultra-cold conditions, hydrogen cyanide can form stable crystals with methane and ethane. This surprising reaction could help explain Titan’s mysterious landscapes and offer clues to how life’s building blocks formed. Fri, 17 Oct 2025 02:51:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251016223031.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/2025/10/251014014438.htm High above the Sun’s blazing equator lie its mysterious poles, the birthplace of fast solar winds and the heart of its magnetic heartbeat. For decades, scientists have struggled to see these regions, hidden from Earth’s orbit. With the upcoming Solar Polar-orbit Observatory (SPO) mission, humanity will finally gain a direct view of the poles, unlocking secrets about the Sun’s magnetic cycles, space weather, and the forces that shape the heliosphere. Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:30:56 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251014014438.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251012054611.htm A colossal northern asteroid impact billions of years ago likely shaped the Moon’s south polar region and explains its uneven terrain. Researchers found that the South Pole-Aitken Basin formed from a glancing northern strike, revealing deep materials from the Moon’s interior. This discovery sheds light on how KREEP elements gathered on the near side, driving volcanic activity. Artemis astronauts may soon uncover samples that rewrite lunar history. Sun, 12 Oct 2025 10:23:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251012054611.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251005085754.htm October’s night sky is set to dazzle, featuring a radiant supermoon, the fiery Draconid meteor shower, and the sparkling Orionids. As the full moon reaches its largest and brightest on October 6, stargazers can also catch the Draconids streaking from the constellation Draco. Later in the month, the Orionid meteors—fragments of Halley’s Comet—will light up the sky, creating a breathtaking celestial display for anyone willing to look up. Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:57:54 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251005085754.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/2025/10/251002074004.htm New lunar samples from the far side reveal it formed from cooler magma than the near side, confirming the Moon’s interior is not uniform. Researchers suggest fewer heat-producing elements on the far side explain the difference. Theories range from ancient cosmic collisions to Earth’s gravitational pull. These discoveries bring us closer to solving the Moon’s long-standing “two-faced” mystery. Fri, 03 Oct 2025 01:02:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251002074004.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251001092210.htm Fresh analysis of Cassini data has revealed new complex organic molecules inside ice grains spewing from Enceladus. These discoveries strengthen the case that the moon’s underground ocean hosts chemistry similar to life’s building blocks on Earth. Scientists now believe Enceladus could be habitable, and plans are underway for a European mission to sample its surface and jets. Thu, 02 Oct 2025 01:32:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251001092210.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/2025/09/250924012241.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/2025/09/250923021204.htm NASA has chosen 10 new astronaut candidates who will train for missions to the Moon and Mars. Their selection represents a powerful blend of talent and ambition, fueling humanity’s next great leaps into space. Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:10:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250923021204.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