AstroNews Hub

20/10/2021

Believe it or not, observing the Moon is something you can do no matter the weather, time of day, or location! We interpret “observe” very broadly. There are so many ways to celebrate and observe the Moon for International Observe the Moon Night.

Believe it or not, observing the Moon is something you can do no matter the weather, time of day, or location! We interpret “observe” very broadly. There are so many ways to celebrate and observe the Moon for International Observe the Moon Night. Here are ten of our favorites: 1. Look up The s

19/10/2021

Extrasolar planets are being discovered at a rapid rate, with 4,531 planets in 3,363 systems (with another 7,798 candidates awaiting confirmation). Of these, 166 have been identified as rocky planets (aka. “Earth-like”), while another 1,389 have been rocky planets that are several times the size of Earth (“Super-Earths). As more and more discoveries are made, the focus is shifting from the discovery process towards characterization.

In a new study, a team of Earth scientists shows how scientists could look for signs of a carbon-silicate cycle on exoplanets.

18/10/2021

Venus might never have had the conditions necessary for water to exist on its surface, meaning the planet wouldn’t have been habitable as once thought.

The surface of Venus may have remained extremely hot since its formation, meaning that water in the atmosphere never had a chance to fall to the surface

18/10/2021

The spacecraft is the first headed to the space rocks that tag along in Jupiter's orbit

NASA’s Lucy is the first spacecraft to head to the two giant clumps of space rocks that tag along in Jupiter’s orbit.

18/10/2021

Venus was always too hot for oceans, a new study suggests.

18/10/2021

A giant Jupiter-like planet that survived the cataclysmic death of its star has provided astronomers with a preview of the far future of our solar system.

Astronomers have spotted a Jupiter-like planet in its original orbit around a white dwarf for the first time

18/10/2021

According to the most widely accepted theories, the Moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago after a Mars-sized object (Theia) collided with Earth. After the resulting debris accreted to create the Earth-Moon system, the Moon spent many eons cooling down. This meant that a few billion years ago, lakes of lava were flowing across the surface of the Moon, which eventually hardened to form the vast dark patches (lunar maria) that are still there today.

An international team examined lunar rocks brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission, and determined that volcanism ended on the Moon 2 billion years ago

18/10/2021

A mega-cometpotentially the largest ever discovered is heading from the Oort Cloud towards our direction. Estimated to be 100200 kilometers across, the unusual celestial wanderer will make its closest approach to the Sun in 2031. However, the closest it will come to Earth is to the orbit of Saturn.

A mega-comet—potentially the largest ever discovered—is heading from the Oort Cloud towards our direction. Estimated to be 100–200 kilometers across, the unusual celestial wanderer will make its closest approach to the Sun in 2031. However, the closest it will come to Earth is to the orbit of ...

18/10/2021

Don't expect a good display.

18/10/2021

The Ingenuity helicopter made history on April 19, 2021, with the first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet. How do engineers talk to a helicopter all the way out on Mars? How about other spacecraft?

The Ingenuity helicopter made history on April 19, 2021, with the first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet. How do engineers talk to a helicopter all the way out on Mars? How about other spacecraft? We’ll hear about it from Nacer Chahat of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laborator...

18/10/2021

Astronomers have spotted a brand-new meteor shower in the night skies of the southern hemisphere.

A meteor shower called the Arids has appeared in southern hemisphere skies, as predicted by astronomers