Tag: Planet Formation
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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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How the Galilean Moons’ Water Content Took Shape: Io vs Europa
Understanding the Mystery of Water in Jupiter’s Moons Jupiter’s Galilean moons, especially Io and Europa, have long intrigued scientists with their divergent water inventories. A new wave of research, highlighted in The Astrophysical Journal, investigates how the water content in these moons was established during their formation. The central question: how long did it take…
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Inner Fire, Outer Ice: JWST Spots Crystal-Forming Rock Fragments Traveling Through a Young Planetary Disk
New Insight from a Young Star System In a landmark observation, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured evidence that a newborn star can forge crystals in extreme heat and thrust them far into the icy outskirts of its surrounding planet-forming disk. This remarkable finding may illuminate how comets—the icy travelers at the edge…
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JWST Sees Comet-Seeding Crystals Flowing from a Newborn Star’s Disk (Photo)
A Glimpse into a Cosmic Cradle Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have captured a remarkable scene: a young star forging crystals in scorching heat and blasting them toward the chilly fringes of its planet-forming disk. The discovery, described as a first of its kind, could reshape our understanding of how comets—the ancient messengers…
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JWST Reveals Comet-Building Crystals Leaping from Young Star’s Disk
Overview: A startling glimpse into early planet formation In a finding that reads like a cosmic mystery novel, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a rare process unfolding in a newly born star’s surroundings. Scientists report that blazing heat near the young star forges crystals and then launches them toward the icy outer…
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Webb’s Revelation: Young Sun-like Star Forging Crystals in Its Outer Disk and Ejecting Them toward Comets
Introduction: Unveiling Crystalline Mysteries at the Edge of a New Solar System For decades, scientists have puzzled over a surprising feature in comets: crystalline silicates, crystals that form only under intense heat. These solid gems, found in the cold depths of the outer solar system, have long hinted at dramatic early processes in planetary systems.…
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Webb Detects Crystalline Silicates Flinging from a Young Sun-like Star into Its Outer Disk
Webb unveils a surprising mechanism in a young star’s disk In a landmark discovery, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) has observed a young, sun-like star actively forging crystalline silicates and ejecting them into its surrounding outer disk. This finding offers a fresh perspective on how the crystals that later appear in comets might form…
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Webb Discovers Young, Sun-Like Star Forging Crystals and Flinging Them into Its Outer Disk
Webb Spots Crystalline Clues in a Young Star’s Disk In a remarkable finding from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have observed a young sun-like star actively forging crystalline minerals and propelling them into its surrounding outer disk. This discovery provides a crucial missing link in understanding why some comets—relics from the solar system’s infancy—contain…
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How Super-Earths Are Made: Stellar Radiation Carves the Planets We Share the Galaxy With
Introduction: A new chapter in planet formation For years, astronomers have puzzled over why the cosmos hosts so many small, rocky worlds that fall into the categories of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. A breakthrough study focusing on four young, evaporating planets is now offering a clearer picture: stellar radiation won’t just bake these worlds away; it…