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Portrayal of 'Oumuamua (1I/2017 U1)

Solar System

Explaining the Odd Behavior of Interstellar Object 'Oumuamua

It wasn't aliens after all — an astrochemist and an astronomer have teamed up to explain why the interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua behaved the way it did.

composite image of Ryugu's rubbly surface

Astrobiology

Asteroid Analysis Reveals Prebiotic Compounds

Prebiotic compounds previously found in meteorites have now turned up in pristine samples from the asteroid Ryugu, confirming their extraterrestrial origin.

Sulphur-tinged volcano rises above surface on Venus

Solar System

Scientists Finally Find Active Volcanism on Venus

After decades of searching, scientists have finally found a clear sign of active volcanism on Venus.

Solar System

Amateur Astronomers Help Provide Uninterrupted View of Venus’s Clouds

The newest observations will help astronomers understand a planetary-scale wave in the atmosphere of our sister planet.

Cutaway diagram of protoplanetary disk, which flares out away from star

Exoplanets

Water on Earth Might Predate the Solar System

Astronomers studying the water vapor around a newborn star find that it’s chemically similar to ice in solar system comets, a possible source of Earth’s oceans.

Cool blue world

Solar System

Do Diamonds Rain on the Ice Giants?

New research shows diamonds might condense out of Neptune's mantle, but not Uranus', explaining a decades-old discrepancy.

Close-up view of Didymos and Dimorphos

Solar System

The Aftermath of DART, Humankind’s First Planetary Defense Mission

Five new studies give a full accounting of the aftermath of the impact of NASA's DART mission on a nearby asteroid.

2023 CX1

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

Small Asteroid Spotted Hours Before Demise

The swift detection of a small asteroid, and recovery of its surviving fragments, shows we’re getting better at spotting incoming objects.

Trailing plume ejected from bright Dimorphos

Astronomy and Society

How Citizen Scientists Are Monitoring the DART Impact's Aftereffects

Observers around the globe are keeping an eye on the asteroid Didymos and its moon Dimorphos to track the long-term effects of the DART mission's impact.

An artist illustration of the Quaoar system in front of a background of white stars. Central in the figure sits a brownish planet. This is Quaoar, a dwarf planet in the outer Solar System. At a distance of about five times its radius sits a ring. This ring is made up out of small grey pieces of debris. At twice the distance of the ring, to the left of Quaoar, sits its moon Weywot. Weywot looks about a sixth the size of Quaoar but has the same brownish colour. To the right of this system, we see a bright star. This star is bigger than the background stars and represents the distant Sun

Solar System

Astronomers Discover Unexpected Ring around Distant Dwarf Planet 

There’s a strangely large-diameter ring around the outer solar system world Quaoar.

Lucy spacecraft next to shiny rock on black field

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

Lucy Mission Has a New Asteroid to Fly By

NASA’s Lucy mission now has a new first target of opportunity, a main-belt asteroid it will visit this November.

Comet ZTF (C/2022) and Mt. Etna

Comets

Understanding the Tails of Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3)

We explore Comet ZTF's remarkable trio of tails and share the latest news and photos.

Jupiter, Ganymede, Europa and double shadows, March 25, 2019

Solar System

Astronomers Find a Dozen More Moons for Jupiter

The discovery of a dozen new moons for Jupiter makes the king of planets the king of moons, too — at least for now.

Comet ZTF E3 dust tail

Comets

See Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) Dash Between Big and Little Dippers

Forget the hype and go outside to enjoy the real thing — a relatively bright comet you can see in binoculars from a dark sky.

2023 BU close approach

Asteroids

Tiny Asteroid 2023 BU to Miss Earth

A recently discovered asteroid will pass exceptionally close to Earth on January 26th. Here's how to see it. Also, Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) is brightening nicely, with three tails visible in binos.

Pandora

Celestial Objects to Observe

The Moons of the Solar System

Not so long ago, astronomers thought only a few dozen moons orbited the planets of our solar system. Today, the total count tops 170!

rainbow with black lines marking where different atoms have absorbed wavelengths of light

Solar System

What Is the Sun Made Of? New Data Deepens Debate

New data from a detector tucked under a mountain in Italy has shed light on what's inside the Sun.

June 2022 planets

Solar System

All Eight Planets Line Up ... Again!

Echoing summer's great arc of planets at dawn, winter presents the full octet again, this time splayed across the evening sky.

Dust devil

Solar System

Listen to a Martian Dust Devil

The Perseverance rover on Mars has recorded a dust devil using its microphone, providing unprecedented data about these whirlwinds.

Viking 1 image of Red Planet

Solar System

Tsunamis Carried Boulders Across Ancient Martian Ocean

Long-ago impacts tossed up the floors of an ancient ocean on the Red Planet and carried debris to the landing site of NASA’s Viking 1 lander.

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