Planetary Formation
A Second Generation of Planets can Form Around a Dying Star
When young stars coalesce out of a cloud of molecular hydrogen, a disk of leftover material called a protoplanetary disk…
A Star Passed too Close and Tore Out a Chunk of a Protoplanetary Disk
When it comes to observing protoplanetary disks, the Atacama Large Millimetre/sub-millimetre Array (ALMA) is probably the champion. ALMA was the…
There’s So Much Pressure at the Earth’s Core, it Makes Iron Behave in a Strange Way
It's one of nature's topsy-turvy tricks that the deep interior of the Earth is as hot as the Sun's surface.…
The Early Solar System was Messier and More Violent Than Previously Believed
Our conventional models of planet formation may have to be updated, according to a pair of new papers. Accretion is…
Many Sunlike Stars Gobbled up Some of Their Planets
New research shows that other sunlike stars in our galaxy aren't so kind to their planets. Up to a quarter…
This is how you get Tatooines. Binary Star Planet Formation
One of the less appreciated aspects of George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars was that he predicted the existence of…
The Sun is Mellow Yellow Today. Billions of Years Ago? Not So Much
Planetary formation theory has been undergoing a lot of changes recently, with an ever expanding litany of events that can…
Does Mercury Have a big Iron Core Because it’s so Close to the Sun’s Magnetic Field?
Magnetic fields are great for lots of things - directing explorers, levitating trains, and containing nuclear fusion reactions are just…
Astronomers see an Accretion Disk Where Planets are About to Form
Planet formation is notoriously difficult to study. Not only does the process take millions of years, making it impossible to…
Planets may Start Forming Before the Star is Even Finished
Planets form from the accumulation of countless grains of dust swirling around young stars. New computer simulations have found that…