Makemake and its moon artwork

Solar System

Webb Telescope Spies Hints That Solar System's Outskirts Are a Hotbed of Activity

The James Webb Space Telescope has found that distant dwarf planets might be methane factories.

By: Emily Lakdawalla February 26, 2024

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.

By: Jeff Hecht May 7, 2023

Looking back at Pluto

Celestial Objects to Observe

Cool Off with Pluto This Summer

Pluto might be a challenging target but it's well worth the effort. Grab your telescope and see if you can spot this distant, chilly world.

By: Bob King July 29, 2020