Saturn may be doing a little electromagnetic shimmy and twist which has been throwing off attempts by scientists to determine how long it takes for the planet to rotate on its axis, according to a new study.
Discovering the length...
Aurora-watchers gazing at spectacular displays over the Labor Day weekend may have been seeing more than the northern lights. They may have been dazzled by STEVE as well.
STEVE is short for the Strong Thermal Emissions Velocity Enhancement, a celestial phenomenon auroral...
Pops of bright blue and green in this image of the Fireworks galaxy (NGC 6946) show the locations of extremely bright sources of X-ray light captured by NASA's NuSTAR space observatory. Generated by some of the most energetic processes...
A new study from Caltech shows that giant impacts can dramatically lower the internal pressure of planets, a finding that could significantly change the current model of planetary formation.
The impacts, such as the one that is thought to have...
Modern analysis of Martian meteorites has revealed unprecedented details about how asteroid impacts help create temporary sources of running water on the red planet.
This study helps to narrow down the potential location of the impact crater on the Martian...
A team of astronomers led by AIP Ph.D. student Engin Keles detected the chemical element potassium in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, for the first time with overwhelming significance and applying high-resolution spectroscopy. The Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic...
Mercury's ancient magnetic poles were far from the location of its poles today, implying its magnetic field, like Earth's, changed over time, a new study says.
Some planets have metallic liquid cores. Scientists generally believe a planet's magnetic field comes...
Storm clouds rooted deep in Jupiter's atmosphere are affecting the planet's white zones and colorful belts, creating disturbances in their flow and even changing their color.
Thanks to coordinated observations of the planet in January 2017 by six ground-based optical...
Last December, scientists discovered an "active" asteroid within the asteroid belt, sandwiched between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The space rock, designated by astronomers as 6478 Gault, appeared to be leaving two trails of dust in its wake—active...
Rather than leaving home young, as expected, stellar 'siblings' prefer to stick together in long-lasting, string-like groups, finds a new study of data from ESA's Gaia spacecraft.
Exploring the distribution and past history of the starry residents of our galaxy...
A new study argues that Saturn's interior flows like honey due to its magnetic field, which may help solve the mystery of why the planet's powerful winds stop 8,500km inside the giant gas planet.
Unlike Earth, Saturn has no solid...
