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Orbits of newly discovered moons

Solar System

New Discoveries Double Number of "Irregular" Saturn Moons

The Minor Planet Center is announcing a bevy of new moons for Saturn that will bring its total to 145 (and break Jupiter's record).

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

Second Ring Around Quaoar Puzzles Astronomers

There's a second ring around the far-out dwarf planet Quaoar, adding to the mystery of how this world hosts rings at such wide orbits.

composite image of Ryugu's rubbly surface

Astrobiology

Analysis of Asteroid Ryugu Reveals Prebiotic Compounds

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

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.

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.

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.

Ryugu

Solar System

Asteroid Samples Reveal Long Journey through the Solar System

Analyses of just 5.4 grams scooped from the asteroid Ryugu are delivering rich new insights into the history of the solar system.

SEIS

Solar System

NASA's InSight Lander Finds Tropical Mars Is Dry

Evidence for water ice exists at the poles of Mars and even at mid-latitudes, but new evidence shows equatorial Mars is dry. The find has implications for past habitability and future human missions to Mars.

Jupiter in infrared

Solar System

Why Are Jupiter's Rings So Thin?

Why does the biggest planet in the solar system have such flimsy rings? New research shows Jupiter's moons may be to blame.

A diamond-shaped grey asteroid with ridges, holes, and craters in it, against a black background

Spacecraft and Space Missions

Asteroid Bennu Almost Swallowed Spacecraft Whole

Scientists knew the asteroid Bennu was likely a rubble pile rather than solid rock, but OSIRIS-REX's recent visit surprised them in showing just how loosely the asteroid really is.

Microphone placement on Perseverance

Solar System

Listen to the Martian Soundscape

Two microphones on Mars, carried on NASA's Perseverance rover, are for the first time revealing the sounds of another planet.

Protoplanetary debris cloud (artist's concept)

Exoplanets

“Lucky” Images Reveal Dusty Debris Around a Star 330 Light-years Away

The transit of a large cloud of protoplanetary rubble across the face of a young star gave the Spitzer Space Telescope our best view yet of planetary evolution in action.

Ryugu sample

Solar System

Samples from Asteroid Ryugu Are Most Primitive Material We've Found

The material that the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft returned from asteroid Ryugu is the most pristine sample we've ever gotten our hands on.

Chipping the Moon

Solar System

Has a Stray Piece of the Moon Become a Quasi-satellite of Earth?

A quasi-satellite of Earth, named Kamoʻoalewa, might actually be a chip off our Moon.

Jupiter, color-enhanced

Solar System

Hail-like “Mushballs” May Fall on All Our Giant Planets

"Mushballs," first inferred to exist on Jupiter, may fall within the atmospheres of all the solar system's giant planets.

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

Solar System

Amateur Astronomer Discovers New Moon of Jupiter

An amateur astronomer has discovered a new moon of Jupiter. While it hasn't received official designation yet, it would bring the tally of Jovian satellites to 80.

Orbit of Comet 2014 UN271

Solar System

Giant Oort Cloud Comet Lights Up in the Outer Solar System

Astronomers have discovered a new comet coming from the Oort Cloud — and it appears to be a big one.

Comet spectrum

Solar System

Interstellar and Solar System Comets Share a Surprising Ingredient: Nickel

Cold comets — both natives and the interstellar Comet Borisov — have nickel and iron vapor in their atmospheres, and scientists want to know why.

Saturn's interior

Solar System

Helium Rain Inside Saturn Might Shape Its Magnetic Field

A thick inner layer of slowly falling helium blobs might help explain Saturn's almost perfectly aligned magnetic field.

Great Red Spot vs. flake

Solar System

Jupiter's Great Red Spot Gets Smaller — But Stronger

"Flakes" coming off the Great Red Spot have had some wondering if this epic storm is coming to an end. But observations and computer modeling show it's only getting stronger.

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