Planetary Science

Study Finds Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Io Is Not Powered by a Global Magma Ocean

Credit: PixabayIo, one of Jupiter's moons, holds the title of the most volcanically active body in the Solar System, boasting around 400 volcanoes and vast lava flows across its surface. However, contrary to earlier theories, a recent study suggests that this volcanic activity is not driven by a global magma ocean beneath its crust.New...

Study Suggests the Sun May Be Due for a Powerful Superflare

A moderate solar flare that erupted on 2 October 2014. The flare is the flash of light. (NASA/SDO)The Sun is far from tranquil. Its surface churns with convection, its magnetic field continuously snaps and reconnects, and it releases energy through violent flares and plasma bursts known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).Most solar activity poses little...

Crash of Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Offers New Insights Into the Red Planet

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/YouTube)Even in its final moments, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter continues to contribute to our understanding of Mars.The groundbreaking aircraft, designed for just five flights over 31 days, exceeded expectations by completing an astonishing 72 missions over nearly three years. Ingenuity’s extraordinary journey ended on January 18, 2024, during a routine flight in the thin Martian...

NASA Observes Black Hole Jet Colliding with Mysterious Object

NASA Observes Black Hole Jet Colliding with Mysterious ObjectOne of the most peculiar galaxies near the Milky Way has presented astronomers with a new and intriguing mysteryKnown as Centaurus A, this galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole at its center that emits enormous jets of plasma. These jets, traveling through intergalactic space, have collided...

Primordial Black Holes Might be Hidden in Planets or Everyday Objects on Earth

Credit: PixabayWhen you think of black hole formation, you likely picture a massive star collapsing under its own gravity. However, the early universe’s chaotic conditions might have also produced small black holes, known as primordial black holes, long before the first stars existed.These black holes, theorized for decades, could even be the elusive dark...

NASA’s Moon Return Missions Face Further Delays

The Artemis program is meant to establish a permanent human presence on the MoonNASAThe Artemis II and III missions, which aim to return U.S. astronauts to the Moon, have been delayed once again. At a press briefing, NASA officials revealed that issues with the heat shield and life support systems would push back the...

A Galaxy Collision at 3.2 Million km/h

Credit: PixabayAstronomers have observed a massive galaxy collision in remarkable detail, triggered by a galaxy traveling at 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h), using one of Earth’s most powerful telescopes.The dramatic event occurred in Stephan's Quintet, a galaxy group discovered nearly 150 years ago, and sparked a shockwave resembling a "sonic boom from...

A Magnetic Vortex is Churning the Haze at Jupiter’s Poles

Credit: PixabayJupiter’s Great Red Spot has long been a planetary icon. However, UC Berkeley astronomers have now identified equally massive, Earth-sized dark spots at the planet’s poles. These UV-dark ovals, which appear within the stratospheric haze at the poles, come and go unpredictably. Notably, they sit just below the auroral zones and absorb more...

Scientists Have Officially Confirmed the Composition of the Moon’s Interior

Credit: PixabayA detailed study released in May 2023 revealed that the Moon's inner core is a solid sphere with a density similar to iron. Researchers believe this discovery will resolve a long-standing debate about whether the Moon's core is solid or molten, providing a clearer understanding of the Moon's history and, in turn, the...

SpaceX Starship Flight 6: No catch, But a Banana was Involved

Starship in orbitSpaceXSpaceX's Starship Flight 6 launched today, missing a second capture landing for the Super Heavy first stage. However, it featured a dramatic daylight soft landing of the Starship second stage in the Indian Ocean—along with a banana.Today's mission experienced an unusually smooth countdown for an experimental development flight, with the final hold...