Lumps of dust are spiraling around a young star 5,000 light-years away. They could be Jupiter-like planets in the making.
astronomy
Posted inNews
Saturn’s Shiny Rings May Be Pretty Young
The rings are fairly shiny despite being bombarded by dust, indicating that they haven’t been around for very long.
Posted inFeatures
Deluges of Data Are Changing Astronomical Science
Astronomers today are more likely than ever to access data from an archive rather than travel to a telescope—a shift that’s democratizing science.
Posted inNews
El papel central de la agricultura en el calendario de horizonte azteca
Los calendarios de horizonte fueron clave para medir el tiempo para las culturas pre-hispánicas de la cuenca del Valle de México. Un nuevo estudio sugiere que los calendarios se usaron para gestionar los ciclos agrícolas.
Posted inNews
Marauding Moons Spell Disaster for Some Planets
In solar systems beyond our own, some moons might eventually collide with their host planets, new simulations suggest.
Posted inNews
Quaoar’s Ring Defies Gravity
The dwarf planet’s ring makes astronomers question whether a long-held theory about ring and moon formation needs tweaking.
Posted inNews
Complex Organic Ices Discovered in a Star-Forming Cloud
The presence of complex organic molecules such as methanol, ethanol, and acetaldehyde in a molecular cloud suggests that these and simpler ices might be available to planetary systems right from the start.
Posted inNews
Starry Nights Are Disappearing
Stars dim as the sky gets brighter, a result of expanding cities and bright LEDs. Simple low-tech changes can help preserve dark night skies.
Posted inNews
Agriculture at the Center of the Aztec Horizon Calendar
Horizon calendars were a key part of time measurement for pre-Hispanic cultures in the Basin of Mexico. A new study suggests that calendars were used to manage the agricultural cycle.
Posted inScience Updates
A New Journey Around (and Around) the Sun
The Solar Orbiter just completed its commissioning phase while en route to the Sun. It has already provided valuable looks at solar campfires and Venus’s magnetic fields, and it promises much more.