Planetary Geophysics: What is it? What can it teach us about finding life beyond Earth?
Universe Today has examined the importance of studying impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, and planetary atmospheres,…
This New Map of 1.3 Million Quasars Is A Powerful Tool
Quasars are the brightest objects in the Universe. The most powerful ones are thousands of times more luminous than entire…
Webb Finds Hints of a Third Planet at PDS 70
The exoplanet census now stands at 5,599 confirmed discoveries in 4,163 star systems, with another 10,157 candidates awaiting confirmation. So…
Improving a 1960s Plan to Explore the Giant Planets
In the 1960s, NASA engineers developed a series of small lifting-body aircraft that could be dropped into the atmosphere of…
Finally, an Explanation for the “String of Pearls” in Supernova 1987A
Not long after the explosion of Supernova 1987a, astronomers were abuzz with predictions about how it might look in a…
NASA is Working on Zero-Boil Off Tanks for Space Exploration
No matter what mode of transportation you take for a long trip, at some point, you'll have to refuel. For…
Webb Reveals Secrets of Neptune’s Evolution
A twinset of icy asteroids called Mors-Somnus is giving planetary scientists some clues about the origin and evolution of objects…
Little Red Dots in Webb Photos Turned Out to Be Quasars
In its first year of operation, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) made some profound discoveries. These included providing the…
The Maximum Mass of a Neutron Star is 2.25 Solar Masses
When stars grow old and die, their mass determines their ultimate fate. Many supermassive stars have futures as neutron stars.…
Could Earth Life Survive on a Red Dwarf Planet?
Even though exoplanet science has advanced significantly in the last decade or two, we're still in an unfortunate situation. Scientists…