Tag: solar system
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Planet Y: The Hidden Planet Question Marking a New Era for Our Solar System
Unraveling a Solar System Puzzle Scientists are sounding the alarm that the outer solar system may host a mysterious, yet-unseen world. Dubbed Planet Y, this hypothetical planet would lie far beyond the Kuiper Belt’s known ice-rich bodies, influencing the orbital tilts of distant objects in a way that conventional models struggle to explain. While direct…
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Planet Y: New clues of an unseen world in the outer solar system
What is Planet Y? Planet Y is not declared a discovery but rather a strong hint toward an unseen world lurking far beyond Neptune. In a study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, lead author Amir Siraj from Princeton describes Planet Y as likely smaller than Earth but larger than Mercury.…
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Planet Y: New Clues to a Hidden World Beyond Neptune
Introduction: A Puzzle Beyond Neptune Planeta Y is not yet a confirmed planet, but a carefully argued clue in a long-running debate about the solar system’s outer reaches. The idea rests on subtle tilts in the orbits of distant icy bodies beyond Neptune, within the Kuiper Belt, where new observations are hard-won and easy to…
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3I/ATLAS: How Mars and Jupiter Probes Are Studying the Interstellar Comet
Interstellar visitor arrives: 3I/ATLAS in our planetary backyard The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has captured the attention of planetary scientists as it barrels through the inner solar system. First spotted in July 2025 by an ATLAS telescope in Chile, the object became only the third known interstellar traveler to visit our cosmic neighborhood. Its extrasolar origin…
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Scientists gear up for close-up look at interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS as Mars flyby arrives
Close encounter: 3I/ATLAS near Mars Scientists around the world are preparing for a rare close-up study of the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS as it skims past Mars on October 3, 2025. First spotted on July 1, 2025, this enigmatic object has sparked intense debate about its nature and origin, inviting comparisons with the Solar System’s most…
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Cassini proves complex chemistry in Enceladus ocean, boosting ESA mission plans
Fresh clues from Cassini data A major Nature Astronomy study revisits data from NASA’s Cassini mission to Earth’s opponent in the outer Solar System: Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus. The headline takeaway is not just the moon’s hidden ocean, but the surprising chemical complexity that its jets carry into space. Since Cassini first detected water plumes…
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Enceladus Ocean Reveals Organic Molecules and Clues to Life
Enceladus: A Small World with Big Clues Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus, a compact world about 500 kilometers in diameter, hides a surprisingly dynamic interior. Its surface is crowned by an ice shell roughly 25 to 30 kilometers thick, yet beneath lies a brighter possibility: a global ocean of liquid water that may cradle complex chemistry.…
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Astrophotography Awards: Space For Storytelling
Introduction In the glow of city lights, the night sky can feel distant. Yet the cosmos remains within reach through the work of astrophotographers who turn darkness into storytelling. The David Malin Awards — an international astrophotography competition — showcase how photography can illuminate science and spark imagination. Run by the Central West Astronomical Society…
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Astrophotography Awards: A Space for Storytelling
The David Malin Awards illuminate a core idea in astrophotography: the best images do more than document celestial detail; they tell stories that connect the Earth beneath our feet with the vast cosmos above. Hosted at the Parkes Observatory Visitors Centre and run by the Central West Astronomical Society, the international competition honors the late…
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Understanding Mercury’s Bizarre Core: Collision Theory Explored
The Enigma of Mercury’s Core Mercury, the innermost planet in our Solar System, has intrigued scientists for decades due to its unique characteristics. One of the most significant mysteries lies within its core, which comprises about 70% of its total mass. Ground-based radio observations in the 1960s and 1970s revealed this intriguing fact, but it…