New observations confirm that main asteroid belt object Hygiea is round. It now fulfills all the requirements to graduate from asteroid to dwarf planet.
Space & Planets
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Curiosity Rover Reveals Oxygen Mystery in Martian Atmosphere
An air-sampling study has captured long-term trends in the concentrations of five key atmospheric gases for the first time.
Posted inNews
Computers Tease Out Secrets of Jupiter’s Aurorae
Aurorae once classified by human eyes are now being sorted by machines. The change may help astronomers understand how the mysterious features are powered.
Posted inNews
Deadly Collision Blows an Asteroid Apart
Active asteroids lurk in the asteroid belt, unseen until they’re blown to smithereens.
Posted inNews
Wanted for Grand Theft Galaxy: The Milky Way
Several dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way were likely stolen from the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Explaining the Missing Energy in Mars’s Electrons
Electrons energized and trapped at Mars were thought to lose energy inside the planet’s magnetosheath, but new research suggests a different explanation of spacecraft data.
Posted inNews
How Do Submarine and Terrestrial Canyons Compare?
Insights from a new study could spark discoveries about Martian landscapes and also help researchers get to the bottom of canyon formation here on Earth.
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Voyager 2’s Interstellar Arrival Was Kind of Familiar. That’s Surprising
The spacecraft crossed the solar system’s edge at a different spot and in a different solar season than Voyager 1. Nevertheless, the border looked much the same in both spots.
Posted inNews
New Type of Storm Spotted on Saturn
In 2018, four massive storms formed near the planet’s north pole, interacting with each other and affecting a full latitudinal band.
Posted inNews
Modern Planet Protection Rules Recommended and Welcomed
Protocols for the Moon and Mars, human exploration, ocean worlds, and the private sector are all due for a major overhaul.