NASA’s Lucy mission will visit a collection of asteroids and is due to launch in 2021
Space Exploration
Space Exploration
Deep Space
What is a hot Jupiter?
Could these worlds be the extreme cousins of gas giant Jupiter?
Solar System
Mysterious ‘wave trains’ have been detected on Jupiter
NASA’s Juno spacecraft spotted massive waves of air shifting through the upper atmosphere of Jupiter
Solar System
What are the cores of the gas giants made up of?
What’s inside these massive planets?
Astronomy
Heroes of Space: Clyde Tombaugh
The amateur astronomer who discovered Pluto and visited the dwarf planet after his death
Solar System
Can asteroids have moons?
Planets can have moons but can large asteroids have them too?
Space Exploration
Jupiter moon’s ‘radiation shower’ could help in hunt for life
New comprehensive mapping of the radiation pummelling icy Europa reveals where scientists should look
Deep Space
What’s the missing link between stars and planets?
When dealing with large planets and small stars it can sometimes be hard to differentiate the two. Thankfully, brown dwarf stars might just be the divider we need.
Solar System
Why doesn’t our Solar System have a hot Jupiter?
We find out why one of these exotic planets can’t be found in our Solar System
Solar System
How big can sunspots get?
We take a look at how big these cooler regions of our star can get
Solar System
Juno Update: Spacecraft movie reveals brand new view of Jupiter’s storms
It will assist in the understanding of the forces at work powering the storm systems that range between 4,000 to 4,600 kilometres (2,500 to 2,900 miles) in diameter
Space Exploration
Will we ever be able to send humans to Jupiter?
We find out if we can make the gas giant and its moons destinations for future manned missions
Deep Space
Astronomers use car engines to investigate hot exoplanet atmospheres
The results of a collaboration between French astronomers and applied combustion experts have been presented at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science (EWASS)
Solar System
How big is the largest crater on Callisto?
We find out what the biggest impact is on this Galilean moon
Solar System
Why are all the planets different colours if they formed at the same time?
We take a look at why the members of the Solar System vary in colour
Solar System
Juno Update: Jupiter’s clouds delve deeper than expected
The latest scientific results from NASA’s Juno spacecraft unveil new information about the planets cloud tops, along with some amazing new images
Space Exploration
Great Red Spot’s roots lie deep in Jupiter’s foundations
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has peered through the clouds of the gas giant to reveal more detail about the planet’s famous storm
Solar System
More evidence arises for existence of Europa’s subsurface ocean
Computer modelling has shown a scenario that accounts for the surface subduction in the Jovian moon’s plate tectonics
Deep Space
Double-world discovery could solve ‘puffy planet’ mystery
Since astronomers first measured the size of an extrasolar planet 17 years ago, they have struggled to answer the question: how did the largest planets get to be so large?
Solar System
Jupiter’s ‘light show’ found to pulsate at its poles
By observing the X-ray emissions from the Jovian planet, scientists speculate that the planet’s magnetic field could be causing unusual aurora