A distant comet is forming new rings while we watch in real time
20 October 2025
The comet-like object Chiron has been caught in the process of forming new rings, which could help us understand how these complex systems work
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Premium
Found 126 results for dwarf planet
General relativity might save some planets from death
6 October 2025
Some habitable worlds orbiting dead stars could be kept alive for aeons thanks to a quirk of Einstein’s theory of gravity
How cosmic events may have influenced hominin evolution
9 September 2025
Some cosmic events could have profoundly altered the lives of our ancient human relatives. Did Neanderthals go extinct, at least in part, due to changes in Earth’s magnetic field? Did Australopithecus witness huge meteorite impacts?
Possible galaxy spotted by JWST could be the earliest we've ever seen
5 September 2025
A possible galaxy named Capotauro may have formed within 90 million years of the big bang – but astronomers can’t be sure that’s what it is
Astronomers found a completely new type of plasma wave near Jupiter
10 July 2025
Observations from NASA’s Juno spacecraft reveal that Jupiter’s strong magnetic field and the unique properties of its plasma can produce a truly novel kind of extraterrestrial wave near its poles
Stellar flares may hamper search for life in promising star system
23 June 2025
Astronomers have been trying to detect atmospheres on planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1, but bursts of radiation from the star make this challenging
Risk of a star destroying the solar system is higher than expected
16 May 2025
Stars that pass close to the solar system could pull planets out of alignment, sending them hurtling into the sun or out into space
How meteorites are rewriting the history of the solar system
10 February 2025
There are many theories about how dynamics in the early solar system led to the cosmic neighbourhood we now inhabit, but beyond computer simulations, direct evidence to support them is hard to come by – that's where meteorites come in
Has a volcanic eruption ever wiped out a species of hominins?
13 January 2025
Volcanoes have been proposed as the reason for the extinction of the Neanderthals and the hobbits of Indonesia, but the end of those species may not have come from a single, dramatic event
Distant dwarf planet Makemake might have a surprising ice volcano
5 November 2024
A small world in the outer solar system appears to have volcanic activity possibly spurred by liquid water
