Planetary Formation
Ten Mysteries of the Solar System
[/caption] We've all wondered at some point or another what mysteries our Solar System holds. After all, the eight planets…
Sun-like Stars May Have Low Probability of Forming Planets
This protoplanetary disk in the Orion Nebula has a mass more than one hundredth that of the sun, the minimum…
Planetary Potential from Protoplanetary Disks
How planets form is one of the major questions in astronomy. Only recently have we been able to study the…
Venus’ Variable Evolution
For every backyard astronomer, we know 4.5 billion years ago, both Venus and Earth were formed with nearly the same…
Organic Molecules Found Outside our Solar System
Organic molecules are thought by scientists to be instrumental in kickstarting life as we know it on Earth. Within our…
Meteorites Reveal Mars’ Past: Molten Surface, Thick Atmosphere
If Mars ever had water flowing on its surface, as the many canyons and riverbed-like features on the Red Planet…
Earthlike Planet Forming Around a Distant Star
Astronomers believe the Earth formed out of a ring of gas and dust surrounding the Sun. Over the course of…
Gas Giants Gobbled Up Most of Their Moons
Even though our Solar System's gas giants vary widely in size and mass, they do have something in common. Each…