Tag: Exoplanets
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Growing Pains of Teenage Exoplanets: Collisions Shape Worlds
Introduction: The volatile adolescence of distant worlds When we think of adolescence, images of growing pains and dramatic changes come to mind. In the cosmos, a closely related phase occurs in the lives of young exoplanets as they settle into stable orbits around their stars. Recent observations and simulations are painting a picture of these…
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Growing pains of teenage exoplanets: violent early lives revealed
Introduction: The chaotic adolescence of planetary systems When we imagine planets forming, we often picture calm, precise orbits and orderly layers of rock and gas. In reality, the early lives of many exoplanets resemble a turbulent adolescence: a time of rapid growth punctuated by collisions, gravitational nudges, and dramatic reconfigurations. New research into planetary systems…
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TESS Safe Mode: NASA Confirms Command Error Caused Safe Mode
Overview: TESS’s brief tumble into safe mode NASA has confirmed that the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) entered Safe Mode after a command error caused its solar arrays to be tilted away from the Sun. The incident, described by NASA officials as a temporary anomaly, didn’t stem from a hardware failure or a solar storm…
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TESS Safe Mode: NASA Command Error Halts Satellite Today
Overview NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) faced a temporary setback when a command error caused the spacecraft to enter safe mode. The incident, which temporarily paused TESS’s planet-hunting operations, was traced to an automation instruction that inadvertently positioned its solar arrays away from the Sun. Ground teams quickly diagnosed the issue, implemented corrective steps,…
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NASA: TESS Safe Mode Triggered by Command Error, Recovery Underway
Overview: TESS experiences safe mode after command error NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) temporarily entered safe mode following a command error that inadvertently left the spacecraft’s solar arrays angled away from the Sun. The incident, first reported by mission controllers, prompted a rapid response to safeguard the satellite and confirm its orientation, power status,…
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Magnetic Shields: How Churning Magma Could Protect Life on Super-Earth Exoplanets
Super-Earths and the Quest for Habitability When scientists imagine worlds beyond our solar system, Super-Earths—planets larger than Earth but smaller than ice giants—often come to the forefront. These rocky worlds are more common than our own Neptune-sized neighbors, and their potential to host life depends on a surprising factor: magnetic protection. A recent wave of…
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Magnetic magma shield on Super-Earths boosts life
Super-Earths and the promise of magnetic protection When we imagine planets outside our solar system, “Super-Earths”—worlds larger than Earth yet smaller than ice giants—are among the most intriguing candidates in the search for life. A recent wave of research points to a surprising feature that could significantly affect their habitability: a built-in magnetic shield generated,…
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Super-Earth Magnetic Shielding: Life-Friendly Worlds
Introduction: A new kind of planetary protection Super-Earths — planets larger than Earth but smaller than ice giants — may have a surprising built‑in defense against harsh space weather. Recent research suggests that the churning magma at their cores could generate a self‑sustaining magnetic shield. This internal dynamo, driven by molten rock, might guard these…
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Water-rich exomoon: possible massive moon orbiting a world
What the discovery hints at In a development that could reshape our understanding of planetary systems, researchers are testing a quieter, motion-based approach to detecting moons beyond the solar system. Instead of relying on dips or blips in starlight, scientists analyze subtle shifts in a planet’s motion to infer the presence of an accompanying moon.…
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Magma Ocean Waves and Thermal Variability on Lava Worlds
Understanding Lava Worlds and Their Extreme Environments Lava worlds are among the most extreme exoplanets scientists study. These rocky planets orbit very close to their stars, where intense irradiation melts the dayside crust into a persistent magma ocean. In such worlds, the surface is a dynamic boundary between molten rock and the cooler, partially solidified…