gas giants
Astronomers Find a Strange Lopsided Planet
I’ve often stated that planets come in a wide range of sizes but rarely do I find myself stating they…
A New Model Explains How Gas and Ice Giant Planets Can Form Rapidly
The most widely recognized explanation for planet formation is the accretion theory. It states that small particles in a protoplanetary…
Webb Joins the Hunt for Protoplanets
We can't understand what we can't clearly see. That fact plagues scientists who study how planets form. Planet formation happens…
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…
Whether Saturn's Rings are Young or Old, its Moons are as Ancient as the Planet Itself
A team of researchers has obtained new estimates on the age of Saturn's irregular satellites, which range from 4.1 and…
The Rings of Uranus Shine Bright in Stunning New JWST Image
The James Webb Space Telescope has taken a stunning new image of the ice giant world Uranus. But what stands…
It's Time For Your Annual Weather Update for the Outer Solar System
A couple times a year, the Hubble Space Telescope turns its powerful gaze on the giant planets in the outer…
TESS Shows That Even Small Stars Can Host Giant Planets
Can low-mass stars play host to giant, Jupiter-sized planets? Theories of planet formation suggest that it's highly unlikely. But a…
Jupiter's Giant Moons Prevent it From Having Rings Like Saturn
A recent study examined why Jupiter doesn't have highly-visible (and beautiful) rings like Saturn, and puts the blame on its…
Hubble Has Been Watching This Planet Form for 13 Years
Hubble's most remarkable feature might be its longevity. The Hubble has been operating for almost 32 years and has fed…