WASHINGTON—The planetary system that includes Earth and its sibling planets orbiting the sun has been remarkably stable during its roughly 4.5 billion years of existence. But not all planetary systems are so lucky, as shown in a new study involving “twin” stars. An examination of 91 pairs of stars with matching sizes and chemical compositions […]
Solar radiation modification (SRM), or blocking out sunlight: Do we really need the technology described in a recent White House report? NTD spoke to geologist and executive director of the CO2 coalition, Gregory Wrightstone, about how such initiatives could have devastating effects on the planet.
An international team of astronomers from the University of Sydney, Australia, and the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy have discovered that a planet that was thought to have long ago disappeared actually still exists. Using two Maunakea Observatories on Hawaii Island—W. M. Keck Observatory and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT)—the team of researchers, led by Marc Hon, […]
Astronomers have found an unusually large planet orbiting a small star, located about 280 light-years from Earth. The unexpected size of the newly discovered world, called TOI 5205b, has led researchers to call it the “forbidden planet.” About the size of Jupiter, it was spotted by researchers using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS. […]
Astronomers have spotted three near-Earth asteroids that were lurking undetected within the glare of the sun. One of the asteroids is the largest potentially hazardous object posing a risk to Earth to be discovered in the last eight years. The asteroids belong to a group found within the orbits of Earth and Venus, but they’re […]
A group of astronomers has discovered one of the biggest planets ever found orbiting a massive and extremely hot two-star system, despite previously believing that such an environment was too inhospitable for a planet to form in. The planet was discovered by Markus Janson, a professor of astronomy at Stockholm University, and colleagues, according to research published Wednesday in the science […]
WASHINGTON—Scientists have spotted one of the smallest planets ever discovered outside our solar system, a scorching-hot world a bit larger than Mars and just about as dense as pure iron zooming around its home star every eight hours. The researchers said on Thursday they managed to detect the planet, located a relatively close 31 light […]
The Gulf Stream is one of the most powerful tidal currents on the planet. It warms our coastlines in winter and harbors billions of species. To get to know the famous current better, we slipped into its wake, heading across the North Atlantic. Fishermen, scientists, fish farmers, sailors—these are the men and women who work, […]
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—A quake-measuring device on Mars is providing the first detailed look at the red planet’s interior, revealing a surprisingly thin crust and a hot molten core beneath the frigid surface. In a series of articles published Thursday, scientists reported that the Martian crust is within the thickness range of Earth’s. The Martian mantle […]
Forget blue moons. Even more rare is when the planet Mercury passes right across the middle of the sun, and it’s happening Nov.11. A Mercury transit, as it’s called, occurs only 13 times in 100 years, according to NASA, and it won’t be seen from North America again for another 30 years, or from anywhere […]
A team of six scientists from institutions across the United States have suggested a new planetary classification system, which would restore to Pluto its status as the ninth planet. The team presented a paper at an international planetary science conference at The Woodlands, Texas, on March 21, which would base the definition of “planet” on […]
