New observations could shed light on the degree to which misalignment in a planet-forming disk contributes to skewed planetary orbits.
planetary evolution
Posted inFeatures
How an Interstellar Interloper Spurred Astronomers into Action
Valuable lessons from previous interstellar objects allowed scientists to develop a more rapid response when the third one arrived in July.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Much Has Mercury Shrunk?
Mercury is still shrinking as it cools in the aftermath of its formation; new research narrows down estimates of just how much it has contracted.
Posted inNews
Exoplanet Triggers Stellar Flares and Hastens Its Demise
HIP 67522 b can’t stop blasting itself in the face with stellar flares, a type of magnetic interaction that scientists have spent decades looking for.
Posted inNews
A New Exoplanet Resets the Scale
TOI-6894 b, the largest exoplanet relative to its host star yet seen, doesn’t fit the most widely accepted formation model for giant worlds.
Posted inNews
Distant Icy Twins Might Actually Be Triplets
The trans-Neptunian object Altjira, 44 times farther from the Sun than Earth is, could be the second known trinary, confirming a theory about the formation of our solar system.
Posted inNews
Cracks on Planetary Surfaces Hint at Water
Imagery of fractured terrain on Venus, Mars, and Jupiter’s moon Europa pinpoints environments influenced by water.
Posted inNews
Cinturones polvorientos ofrecen una visión más clara de la formación de exoplanetas
Las observaciones en longitudes de onda milimétricas de polvo y guijarros en 74 sistemas estelares sugieren que las migraciones planetarias podrían ser más comunes de lo que pensábamos.
Posted inNews
Dusty Belts Provide Clearer Insights into Exoplanet Formation
Millimeter-wavelength observations of dust and pebbles in 74 star systems hint that planetary migrations might be more common than we realized.
Posted inNews
Pluto Captured Charon with a Kiss
A newly understood collision mechanism could explain some peculiarities of Pluto and its moons.