Tag Archives: planets

New Study Reveals Most Planets in Our Galaxy Are Born ‘Bloated’

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Astronomers have made significant strides in understanding how the most prevalent type of planet in our galaxy, known as super-Earths, forms. A new study highlights that these planets begin life as “bloated” infants, rapidly shedding much of their thick atmospheres.

This groundbreaking research, published in Nature, observed four youthful exoplanets within the V1298 Tau system. Remarkably, their host star is merely 20 million years old—akin to a 5-month-old baby in cosmic terms.

Currently, these planets boast radii 5 to 10 times larger than Earth, but their masses only range from 5 to 15 times that of Earth, resulting in a density similar to that of Styrofoam.

This “bloated” state occurs as the young star’s heat and light cause the planet’s atmosphere to expand dramatically. Consequently, these planets are losing significant amounts of gas into space, eventually leading to a reduction in size to somewhere between that of Earth and Neptune.

Super-Earths and sub-Neptunes, as they are often called, have been detected around numerous other stars, establishing them as the most ubiquitous type of planet known today. However, they remain absent in our solar system.

Lacking nearby examples to study these intermediate worlds in detail has made them a “missing link” in our understanding of planetary formation and evolution.













“V1298 Tau is a crucial link between star- and planet-forming nebulae visible across the sky and the mature planetary systems we are currently discovering in abundance,” stated Dr. Eric Pettigura from the University of California, who was involved in the research.

Astronomers had speculated about this growth pattern for infant planets based on their sizes, but this marks the first instance of direct observation of the phenomenon.

“These planets have already experienced rapid changes, significantly losing their original atmospheres and cooling more swiftly than traditional models predict,” noted James Owen, a co-author from Imperial College London.

“Their evolution is ongoing. Over the next few billion years, they will continue to shed atmospheres and reduce in size, eventually forming a compact system of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes widely observed throughout the galaxy.”

A Stroke of Luck

As with many astronomical breakthroughs, this discovery resulted from both serendipity and diligent effort.

The researchers analyzed the planets by monitoring their transits—temporary declines in a star’s brightness when a planet moves in front of it. The depth of this dip indicates the planet’s radius, while the timing offers insights into its orbit.

Planets block only a small fraction of a star’s light, typically around 1%, making their detection a challenging endeavor. – Credit: ESA

While scientists were aware that these planets were on the larger side, part of the transits for the two outer planets was missed, leaving uncertainties about their orbits.

“We used computer models and educated guesses to narrow down hundreds of possibilities,” Pettigura explained.

Fortunately, their predictions proved accurate. Upon searching for the planets again using ground-based telescopes, they successfully located them on the first attempt.

“I was thrilled,” Pettigura remarked. “Given the uncertain timing, I anticipated needing at least six attempts. It felt like hitting a hole-in-one in golf.”

Once the orbits were confirmed, the team conducted a detailed analysis to determine the planets’ masses.

As planets move past each other, their gravitational forces subtly alter their orbits, affecting transit timings. The greater a planet’s mass, the stronger its gravitational pull. This enabled the researchers to differentiate timing variations to ascertain the planets’ masses.

“The unexpectedly large radii of these young planets led to the hypothesis of very low densities, which had not been previously measured,” stated Trevor David of the Flatiron Institute, who was a co-author on the first discovery of this system.

“By measuring the masses of these planets for the first time, we have provided crucial observational evidence that validates their ‘bulgy’ characteristics, establishing a significant benchmark for planetary evolution theory.”

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

First Measurement of Rare Saturn-Sized Rogue Planet’s Mass

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Artist's impression of a rogue planet

Artist’s impression of a rogue planet capturing light from a distant source

Credit: J. Skowron/OGLE

Located nearly 10,000 light-years away, a Saturn-sized planet roams through the vacuum of space. This enigmatic rogue planet was discovered through the joint efforts of ground-based telescopes and the Gaia Space Telescope, marking the first time researchers have measured the mass of a free-floating exoplanet.

Typically, rogue planets found are either more massive than Jupiter or lighter than Neptune, creating a gap known as the “Einstein Desert.” This gap is attributed to the fact that lighter celestial bodies are more likely to be ejected from their stellar orbits, while heavier planets may form independently in open space, similar to stars.

This newly identified exoplanet is extremely rare and has been assigned two designations: KMT-2024-BLG-0792 and OGLE-2024-BLG-0516. Andrzej Udalski, along with researchers from the University of Warsaw, made this groundbreaking discovery using distinct ground-based telescopes. What makes it even more remarkable is its measured mass, which is approximately one-fifth that of Jupiter.

“What’s fascinating about this find is that it’s the first rogue planet we’ve measured in terms of mass, achievable through both Earth-based and Gaia observations,” says Gavin Coleman from Queen Mary University of London. The planet was detected via a method known as gravitational microlensing, occurring when light from a distant source is bent by the planet’s gravitational field, resulting in a halo effect around it. The alignment of the Gaia Space Telescope at the right moment allowed additional capture of this microlensing event.

“Mass is a crucial factor for classifying celestial bodies as planets,” Udalsky explains, confirming this as the first verified rogue planet. “This is a pivotal moment for recognizing that floating planets do indeed exist,” he added. The upcoming NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, expected to launch in 2027, is anticipated to uncover even more such celestial discoveries.

“These planets should be quite numerous, with many being expelled from their original stellar systems during their formation’s early stages, providing key insights into how planetary systems develop,” Udalsky notes. This knowledge may contribute to understanding the formation of our own solar system, which some studies suggest may have inadvertently ejected planets in its early history.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Unexpected Insights on Longevity from the Planet’s Oldest Creatures

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Two hands holding three clams on the beach

DGDImages / Alamy Stock Photos

As I embarked on this story, I pondered whether my subject should be included in my research. I envisioned a striking introduction: “Meet the longest-living animal on Earth. And yes, it’s edible.”

The creature in question is a type of shellfish, namely the ocean quahog, best known for its role in dishes like spaghetti alle vongole. While they are quite tasty, considering the moral implications of harvesting and consuming our fellow beings, as well as the harmful impact on marine ecosystems, I came to realize it raises deeper issues. This extraordinary mollusk can live for over 500 years. Killing it for food seems unjust. Thus, I must alter my introduction: This is the world’s longest-living animal, and my objective is to unravel its mysteries.

If the ocean quahog, also referred to as the Icelandic cyprin, is unfamiliar to you, don’t fret; it isn’t exactly a household name. This sizable bivalve is found buried in sandy beaches all around the North Atlantic, from the warm coasts of Florida and Cadiz, Spain, to the frigid waters of Canada and Norway. If you’ve ever tasted clam chowder in the USA, you’ve likely encountered this species. Its shell showcases fine lines akin to a tree’s annual growth rings, allowing one to determine its age by counting them.

The oldest known specimen, named Hafrun—an Icelandic term that translates to “mystery of the sea”—was born in 1499. It led an unremarkable life, living modestly on a diet scavenged from the shores of Iceland, just as its ancestors had done for generations. Its long life, however, was anything but ordinary. Sadly, Hafrun’s existence came to an abrupt end in 2006 when a team from the University of Exeter, UK, retrieved it from the ocean for research on aging by chronologist Paul Butler. The study aimed to analyze bivalve shells to devise a timeline of the surrounding environment.

“Initially, we estimated its age to be slightly over 400 years. But after a more meticulous examination of its growth lines and comparisons with other shells, we realized it was actually 507 years old,” Butler revealed. It’s possible that even older specimens exist, especially in the colder waters around Iceland, where they tend to grow more slowly and live exceedingly longer. Is there a maximum age limit? “It’s astounding that they can survive for such an extended period,” Butler noted, embodying the enthusiasm of a true mathematician.

The longevity of the quahog seems to stem from its mitochondria—the tiny structures within our cells that convert food into energy. This applies to all eukaryotes, from yew trees and beetles to jellyfish and rabbits.

“Strong mitochondria, which Arctica islandica possesses, are vital for healthy aging across various model species,” comments Enrique Rodriguez, who studies mitochondria at University College London.

The mitochondria of quahogs exhibit enhanced resilience. Their membranes are sturdier than those of other species. These membranes house a protein apparatus that handles electrons and protons to produce ATP, the body’s universal energy currency. The quahog’s mitochondria are larger and more organized, making them even more durable. “Their proteins possess greater molecular weights and intricate structures,” Rodriguez adds. “They are interconnected more efficiently.”

This specialized structure allows the quahog to mitigate mitochondrial damage. It carefully orchestrates the countless protons and electrons that traverse these membranes every second. When electrons leak, they can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide, causing cellular harm. Rodriguez likens this process to cars stuck in traffic: in regular mitochondria, a red light up front triggers a back-up, resulting in exhaust emissions that harm the environment. Yet in quahog mitochondria, protein complexes (the traffic lights) facilitate smoother flow, resulting in diminished exhaust.

However, robust membranes are just part of what allows quahogs to enjoy lengthy lifespans. They also excel in eliminating the ROS they produce. Using Rodriguez’s analogy, this equates to cleaning a car’s exhaust.

A woman hunts quahogs on the Massachusetts coastline.

Boston Globe (via Getty Images)

Rodriguez compared the antioxidant abilities of the quahog to several of its short-lived relatives and found it had a notably superior capacity to eliminate ROS—3-14 times more effective. This finding aligns with the Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Theory of Aging, also seen in the extraordinary lifespans of other species like naked mole rats, which can live up to 40 years—over six times longer than rodents of comparable size.

Pierre Blier, a researcher focused on animal metabolism and aquaculture genetics at the University of Quebec, raises quahogs in labs to investigate longevity mechanisms. He adds that the ocean quahog showcases a remarkable capacity to buffer oxidants. “Their mitochondria are incredibly durable and resistant to ROS,” he states, supporting the MOSTA theory.

While this provides insights into how these creatures achieve such extended lifespans, it also raises questions about the “why.” In other words, what evolutionary pressures contributed to the development of such robust mitochondria?

A possible explanation lies in the low levels of oxygen in the environments where these clams thrive. “Naked mole rats can remain confined in their burrows for about a week without needing gills for oxygen,” Rodriguez observes. Mitochondria have adapted to endure low oxygen conditions (known as anoxia) for extended periods, subsequently requiring robustness to handle sudden oxygen influxes and the correlative spike in oxidative stress. This similar adaptability is evident in naked mole rats, as their subterranean habitats often have diminished oxygen levels. Rodriguez notes a like pattern in their mitochondrial resilience under both oxygen deprivation and subsequent reoxygenation stress, suggesting that selection pressure related to low oxygen could lead to increased longevity almost inadvertently.

“
My advice to live longer is to exercise, eat well, and take cold showers.
“

The pressing question is whether we can bolster our own mitochondria. Back in 2005, a team at the University of California, Irvine, created transgenic mice with enhanced production of the “scavenging” antioxidant enzyme catalase in their mitochondria, extending their lifespans by around five months—a notable increase considering their average lifespan of two years. Although gene editing in human mitochondria is now feasible, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how to safely extend lifespan, prompting the necessity for alternative methods.

Regular exercise is known to improve mitochondrial function. Interestingly, Tibetan Sherpas, who dwell at high altitudes, exhibit distinct mitochondrial characteristics compared to lowland dwellers. A 2017 study examining indigenous lowlanders and Sherpas attempting to climb Mount Everest Base Camp, situated roughly 5,300 meters above sea level, found that Sherpas demonstrated superior oxygen utilization and greater defenses against oxidative stress—attributed to their stronger mitochondria, with genetic foundations for these traits.

Blier argues that Arctica islandica offers valuable insights into longevity. “To enhance your lifespan, focus on your mitochondria: engage in regular exercise, maintain a balanced diet, and incorporate cold showers… Cold showers seem to invoke mitochondrial quality control mechanisms.”

If it works for quahogs…

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Microbial Colors in Clouds May Indicate Life on Other Planets

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The clouds in our atmosphere host a myriad of bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

George Pachantouris/Getty Images

Scientists have for the first time measured the colors of microbes residing in high-altitude clouds, providing insights that could aid the search for extraterrestrial life.

Microorganisms have been found in Earth’s atmosphere at densities reaching up to 100,000 per cubic meter, contributing to cloud formation.

These tiny life forms produce pigments to shield themselves from intense ultraviolet radiation present at high altitudes.

Thus, if similar airborne organisms are present in the atmospheres of other planets, they might be detectable from afar by studying the light wavelengths, or spectra, reflected by those planets. Ligia Coelho from Cornell University in New York notes.

“Essential pigments are robust and surprisingly universal biosignatures,” Coelho explains. “Ultraviolet light is a common stressor for life on any planet with a star, suggesting that reflective pigments serving similar roles could evolve elsewhere.”

To investigate the colors of airborne microorganisms on Earth, Coelho’s team cultured microbes collected by Brent Kritner from the University of Florida and colleagues. Kritner’s team employed helium balloons to collect microorganisms attached to sticky rods at altitudes between 3 and 38 kilometers above the Earth.

Subsequently, Coelho’s team analyzed the reflectance spectra of the colored compounds produced by these microbes, observing a spectrum of colors from yellow to orange to pink, manifested by carotenoid pigments like beta-carotene, commonly found in carrots.

Finally, the team simulated how these spectra might alter across various planetary conditions, including wetter and drier environments.

“For the first time, we possess actual reflectance spectra of pigmented microorganisms in the atmosphere, which can serve as reference points for modeling and detecting life forms within clouds,” stated Coelho.

Astronomers are actively searching for signs of life beyond our solar system by analyzing light reflected from planets, which reveals the chemical footprints of gases—like oxygen and methane—that may be produced by biological activities, as well as indicators of surface life such as green chlorophyll generated by vegetation and microorganisms.

Up until recent findings, clouds surrounding exoplanets were perceived as obstructions, hindering the identification of atmospheric and surface-level biosignatures.

“Our planetary simulations indicate that when exoplanetary clouds are rich in these microorganisms, their spectra can change in identifiable ways,” Coelho elaborates.

Forthcoming space telescopes, such as NASA’s proposed Habitable World Observatory, could bolster efforts to search for life in other star systems.

Nevertheless, even with advancements in technology, the concentrations of airborne microorganisms need to be significantly high to be detected from extensive distances. “The concentrations of these organisms present in Earth’s atmosphere are currently below our detection limits,” Coelho remarked.

“According to the expected resolution of NASA’s Habitable World Observatory (which we modeled in this study), we would require microbial cell densities akin to those found in oceanic algal blooms, which are typically detectable from space.”

Claire Fletcher, a researcher from the University of New South Wales, suggests that it may be advantageous to search for carotenoids produced by microbes in the stratosphere alongside chlorophyll from plant life. “However, while we assume that life on these exoplanets will mirror that of Earth, this assumption may not hold true,” she cautions.

Peter Tuthill, a professor at the University of Sydney, expresses skepticism regarding the utility of the stratospheric biosignatures identified in the study for extraterrestrial life detection. “I appreciate the fact that we don’t need to engineer devices to detect biosignatures amidst noise from distances of 20 parsecs,” he remarks.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Mars Volcanoes Might Have Relocated Ice to the Planet’s Equator

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Ancient volcanic eruptions on Mars may have led to ice deposits near the planet’s equator

Ron Miller/Science Photo Library

The hottest regions on Mars conceal an unexpectedly dense layer of ice beneath their surface, and researchers might have unraveled its origins. This water could have journeyed from the planet’s interior via peculiar volcanic eruptions billions of years ago, making it a vital resource for future human expeditions.

While Mars is known for its polar ice caps, recent radar data from orbiting satellites indicates that ice also exists in equatorial zones. “There’s a frozen layer at the equator, which is curious given that it’s the warmest area of the planet,” says Saira Hamid from Arizona State University. At high noon, temperatures around the equator can soar to approximately 20°C (68°F).

Hamid and her team conducted simulations of volcanic activity on Mars, revealing that explosive eruptions could have propelled water from the interior into the atmosphere over extensive periods. In ancient times, Mars boasted a denser atmosphere conducive to freeze and snowfall, leading to the ice layers observed today. “This narrative intertwines fire and ice,” adds Hamid.

These eruptions would have differed substantially from those on Earth. Mars’ reduced gravity allows volcanic ash, water, and sulfur plumes to ascend as high as 65 kilometers (65 kilometers) above Earth’s surface, and under certain atmospheric conditions during eruptions, even reach space.

As snow accumulates, the water compresses into muddied ice layers, shielded by a blanket of volcanic ash. This covering prevents the ice from sublimating into space and has contributed to its preservation to the present day.

“The potential for such ice-laden deposits poses challenges for many,” comments Tom Watters from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. A notable source of confusion is the massive Medusa Fosse Formation near Mars’ equator. “If the water anticipated in the Medusa Fosse Formation were to melt, it could fill the Great Lakes. That’s a substantial volume of water.”

Another theory for the ice’s formation suggests that Mars’ axial tilt may have changed drastically over time, potentially shifting equatorial areas to pole-like conditions. “However, these volcanic eruptions are sufficient to generate ice without requiring shifts in axial tilt,” Hamid pointed out. “It’s the simpler explanation.”

Equatorial regions are also prime sites for landing missions to Mars because the faint atmosphere thickens in these areas, helping to decelerate landers approaching the surface. The availability of water there could be crucial for future human missions, although initial missions may not exploit this resource. Subsequent landings could benefit from the ice.

“On our inaugural trips, we intend to carry plenty of water, just in case we misinterpret our radar readings,” says Watters. “Without enough water, venturing out with only a shovel expecting to strike water is unwise. Bring a shovel, but also ensure you have sufficient water.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

General Relativity Could Rescue Some Planets from Oblivion

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Illustration of two planets circling white dwarf stars

Julian Baum/Science Photo Library

Planets in orbit around white dwarf stars may have the potential to remain habitable due to subtle movements dictated by the general theory of relativity.

As sun-like stars deplete their fuel, they expand into red giants, shedding their outer layers, ultimately leaving behind a dense, hot core called a white dwarf. Evidence shows that giant planets can continue orbiting these remnants, indicating that life may withstand the stars’ expansion.

Moreover, rocky planets could potentially orbit close to these stars within a compact habitable zone. This zone is the region around the star where liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface, though it has yet to be observed. White dwarfs can remain hospitable for immense periods, as they cool down very gradually, possibly for trillions of years.

The habitable zone is located million kilometers away from the stars and is significantly narrower than Earth’s orbit of 150 million kilometers. Previous studies indicated that a massive orbiting planet makes survival untenable due to tidal heating effects: the gravitational pull of a larger planet generates internal friction, leading to a runaway greenhouse effect akin to that of Venus.

However, modeling conducted by Eva Stafne suggests this might not necessarily be the case. Juliet Becker, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, found that, under certain conditions, Einstein’s general theory of relativity can provide a lifeline for the inner planet.

According to general relativity, massive objects warp space-time, which can be visualized as a dip or “well” on a flat surface. Essentially, the gravity wells of the host star become detached from the orbiting planet, slowly rotating and interacting inconsistently as the planet moves in and out of these wells.

“There’s a precession that separates the outer planet from the inner planet,” says Stafne, which prevents extreme tidal effects on the inner planet. “Past simulations did not consider general relativity, but this highlights the importance of including it in these close systems.”

Without considering general relativity, the outer planet, which would need to be at least 18 times more massive than the innermost planet, could provoke this runaway greenhouse effect, Becker explains. Yet, “factoring in general relativity changes the outcome dramatically,” she states. The inner planet can remain hospitable to similar distances, even with an outer planet as large as Neptune.

Mary Anne Limbach from the University of Michigan is uncertain about the likelihood of discovering such systems. “I’m not even sure if any habitable planets exist around white dwarfs,” she states. Telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope are actively on the lookout for rocky worlds in the vicinity of white dwarfs.

Nevertheless, this research reveals a unique series of plausible scenarios where inhabitants of distant worlds may thrive under suitable conditions, thanks to the bending of space-time.

“We might have a better understanding of how common relativity can be than we think,” Limbach observes.

The Enigma of the Universe: Cheshire, England

Join a weekend with some of the brightest scientific minds. Delve into the mysteries of the universe through an exhilarating program that includes a trip to see the iconic Lovell telescope.

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Saturn-Sized Planets Can Orbit the Closest Sun-Like Star

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What might the artistic concept of a gas giant in orbit around Alpha Centauri A resemble?

ESA/Webb Copyright: NASA, ESA, CSA, STSCI, R.

A massive planet comparable to Saturn is potentially identified orbiting a sun-like star in our nearest stellar system, Alpha Centauri.

Located just four light-years from Earth, Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to us, comprising three stars: Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and the Red Dwarf Star Proxima Centauri. Scientists have long speculated that planets akin to those in our solar system could exist in such systems, and whether planets can reside at distances similar to our Sun’s “habitable zone” around binary stars has been a matter of intrigue. “These stars are very bright, relatively close, and move quickly across the sky,” mentions Charles Baichman from Caltech in a statement.

Recent observations gathered by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) mid-infrared instrument suggest that a gas giant possibly as substantial as Saturn is orbiting the sun-like star, Alpha Centauri A. This discovery has come as a surprise. “Webb was specifically designed to identify the most distant galaxies, not exoplanets,” remarked Beichman, underscoring that such an identification must be meticulously coordinated through numerous observations, evaluations, and computer simulations, which “can yield remarkable insights.”

While previous methodologies for detecting planets relied on indirect measurements, the JWST executed a “more ambitious” approach by actually gathering light from potential planets, according to Alan Boss of Carnegie Science in Washington, DC, who was not involved in this particular study. Nevertheless, visibility of the potential planets was lost in subsequent observations.

“We’re encountering a case of a disappearing planet!” exclaimed Aniket Sanghi, also at Caltech, in a statement. The research team ran simulations of millions of possible trajectories to solve this conundrum, determining that “in half of the possible simulated orbits, the planet would have been too close to the star, making it undetectable by Webb in both February and April 2025,” he said.

As a gas giant, this planet wouldn’t support life as we know it. However, if this finding is validated, it could significantly enhance our understanding of planet formation around stars. “The mere existence of two closely situated stars within a stellar system will challenge our comprehension of how planets form, survive, and evolve under such chaotic circumstances,” Sangi pointed out. “This is also crucial for Earth, as it is our closest neighbor, beside the giant planets in our solar system, with a temperature and age somewhat akin to Earth.”

This revelation has been documented in two accepted papers for publication in Astrophysics Letters.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Women’s Mission to Mars: An Opera on Acquiring the Red Planet’s Toxic Technical Resources

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Writing an opera centered around Mars? Mars represents more than just a celestial body; it embodies philosophy and ideology. Humanity’s perception of it evolves over time, mirroring the complex blend of beliefs, aspirations, dreams, and fears that characterize each era.

In 1965, NASA’s Mariner 4 flew by Mars, delivering the first detailed images of the red planet back to Earth. Before this mission, our knowledge of Mars was limited to telescope observations, where the planet was imagined as a lush environment that might harbor life. Mariner 4 unveiled a starkly different reality: a barren, cratered landscape devoid of life. President Lyndon B. Johnson declared, “It may just be that, as we know, it’s more unique than many people think, along with its humanity. We need to remember this.” The New York Times went even further.

Imagine life in the summer of 1965 if you hadn’t yet been born. In June, Ed White became the first American astronaut to walk in space. His experience was so profound that Soviet astronaut Alexei Leonov referred to it as “the saddest moment of my life” upon re-entering the capsule. Life Magazine celebrated White with a dedicated issue titled “A Glorious Walk in the Universe.” Shortly thereafter, images from Mariner 4 were broadcast, revealing Mars’s desolation. We had just entered a summer filled with dreams of the cosmos, a time of belief that we might not be alone; those dreams, however, were soon overshadowed.




Historic… The first female spaceflight crew including Lauren Sanchez, third from the left. Photo: Blue Origin Handout/EPA

Fast forward 60 years later, space and technology continue to captivate our attention. Spring was bustling with events. In April, the first all-female spaceflight led by then-fiance billionaire Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, launched using a rocket developed by Bezos’ Blue Origin. In May, another billionaire, Elon Musk, resigned amidst controversies surrounding Doge, all while sporting a “Occupied Mars” T-shirt.

In June, billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel shared in an interview with the New York Times, “Mars appears to be more than a science project. It’s a political undertaking.” By July, scientists presented findings at the National Astronomical Conference showing ancient riverbeds on Mars, challenging earlier beliefs regarding water on the planet. Sotheby’s auctioned a large piece of Martian meteorite for around $5.3 million (£4 million). Meanwhile, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at “preventing the federal government from overstepping.”

So, why create an opera about Mars? Because discussing Mars means exploring our own identities, aspirations for the future, and the mechanisms of current power dynamics.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2qRYC5C4lI8?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="MARS | Trailer" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="




Watch the trailer for Mars

To write the opera about Mars, how do we proceed? First, we select a script. The choice of author Mark O’Connell was natural; we are both intrigued by AI, Silicon Valley, and the ideological currents that permeate everyday life, from transhumanism and futurism to rising concerns around fertility rates in Western nations.

Our research dives deep, adopting a Hard Science Fiction perspective. We begin with everyday logistics. How do astronauts exercise, eat, shower, and use the restroom? Can a pregnancy be carried to term in zero gravity or under Mars’ weaker gravitational pull, which is 38% of Earth’s? The answers vary, ranging from the benign (using advanced resistance exercise equipment) to the concerning (one option involves tying a woman to an underground centrifuge during pregnancy).




“I turned to AI,” remarked Walche and her co-director Tom Creed during rehearsals. Photo: Ste Murray

The vast distance from Earth to Mars (about 140 million miles) complicates real-time communication. I pondered the dynamics of relationships in a scenario where conversations could only happen through audio notes. Each line of inquiry led to more questions: If we find life on another planet, how will it alter our understanding of ourselves and the cosmos? Is there a legal framework in place? Does the 1967 Outer Space Treaty hold? Are we humans destined to repeat the harrowing patterns of colonization, or can we carve a different path?

Our opera centers around an all-female mission. Four astronauts—Svetlana, Sally, Judith, and Valentina—named after the first four women in space, board the spacecraft Buckminster en route to Mars. Their quest is to find water to support existing colonies.

Their journey is arduous, further complicated by the scant entertainment options and reruns of *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills*. Upon nearing Mars, they learn that their mission has become the target of a hostile takeover by Shadowfax Ventures, helmed by libertarian billionaire Axel Parchment. They now face isolation, the looming specter of corporate authoritarianism, and the existential question of alien life.

As we dived into the plot, the next challenge was to creatively encompass this expansive narrative acoustically. I envisioned the actual sounds astronauts would experience in different space environments: the roar of rocket propulsion, the hum of life support systems, and mechanical sounds. We meticulously analyzed audio recordings from the International Space Station, crafting ways to replicate these auditory experiences.




The Irish National Opera’s production premiered
At the Galway Arts Festival in July. Photo: Pat Redmond

I immersed myself in hours of space audio—whistles, auroras, interstellar recordings from Voyager 1, and even humorous moments like Chris Hadfield’s lighthearted accounts of using the ISS restroom, alongside studies of various exoplanets. The community at Space Exploration Stack Exchange assisted with inquiries about musical instruments functioning in 38% gravity and the sound quality of trumpets and violins on Mars.

Interestingly, astronauts seem drawn to synth music. A playlist shared by Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers revealed a taste for Vangelis, Mike Oldfield, and Brian Eno, leading me to incorporate synthesizers into both the orchestra and the spacecraft. For our antagonists, I leaned into AI to define their musical character, which was humorously labeled as “bad EDM.” They demonstrated a propensity for chaotic sounds, driving me to explore genres like “Bro Step” and “Fashwave.”

In our opera, the astronauts confront the challenges of a troubling future, resilient against the odds. Our vision, shaped by Mark’s and my imagination, captures not only resistance and hope but also moments of rebellion and joy. Throughout the summer, our team remained aware of the stark human challenges and anxieties outside the rehearsal space. This awareness drove us to explore the significance of our own world, amidst a perceived power dynamic favoring a select few wealthy individuals imposing their will on the greater populace.

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Study Illuminates the Evolution of Lava Planets

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Lava planets are rocky exoplanets that orbit extremely close to their host star, allowing for conditions that melt silicate rocks daily.

Boucale et al. We introduce a straightforward theoretical framework to explain the evolution of lava planets’ internal atmospheric systems. Image credit: Sci.News.

A lava planet is typically a super-Earth to Earth-sized world, orbiting its star in less than one Earth day.

Similar to the Earth’s moon, these planets are expected to be tidally locked, displaying the same hemisphere to their stars at all times.

With extreme surface temperatures, their rocks can reach melting or even evaporating points, creating a distinctive state within our solar system.

These unusual worlds are easily observable due to their pronounced orbital dynamics, offering valuable insights into the fundamental processes that drive planetary evolution.

“Due to the extreme orbital characteristics of lava planets, our understanding of rocky planets in the solar system does not apply directly, which leaves scientists uncertain about expected observations,” states Dr. Charles Eiduard Bukare from York University.

“Our simulations provide a conceptual framework for understanding their evolution and a way to investigate internal dynamics and chemical transformations over time.”

“While these processes are greatly intensified on lava planets, they fundamentally mirror those shaping rocky planets in our solar system.”

As rocks melt or evaporate, elements like magnesium, iron, silicon, oxygen, sodium, and potassium partition differently across vapor, liquid, and solid states.

The unique orbital dynamics of lava planets maintain vapor-liquid and solid-liquid equilibria for billions of years, facilitating long-term chemical evolution.

Using cutting-edge numerical simulations, the researchers predict the evolutionary status of two distinct categories.

(i) Fully melted interior (likely a younger planet): The atmosphere reflects the planet’s overall composition, with heat distribution within the melt ensuring a hot and dynamic nightside surface.

(ii) Nearly solid interior (likely an older planet): Only shallow lava oceans persist, while the atmosphere becomes depleted of elements such as sodium, potassium, and iron.

“We sincerely hope that with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, we will be able to observe and differentiate between young and old lava planets,” Dr. Boukaré expressed.

“Demonstrating this capability would signify a significant advancement beyond conventional observational methods.”

study was published today in the journal Natural Astronomy.

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cé. Boucale et al. The significance of internal dynamics and differentiation in the surface and atmosphere of lava planets. Nut Athlon Published online on July 29th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02617-4

Source: www.sci.news

Machine Learning Aids in Discovering New Planets

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Astronomers are focused on discovering planets that closely resemble Earth in size, composition, and temperature. Earth-like planets face numerous challenges in this quest. These planets are small and rocky, making them hard to detect. The current methods of planet hunting tend to favor gas giants, complicating matters. For a planet to have temperatures similar to Earth, it must orbit its host star at a similar distance, similar to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. This means it takes about a year to complete its orbit around the star. This raises an additional challenge for astronomers: locating Earth-like planets around a star requires telescopes to be dedicated to monitoring them for more than a year.

To maximize efficiency and reduce time spent on monitoring, scientists are seeking alternative methods to identify promising stars for in-depth searches before committing resources. A team of astronomers explored whether observable characteristics of planetary systems could indicate the presence of Earth-like planets. They found that the arrangement of known planets, along with their mass, radius, and proximity to their nearest star, could help predict the likelihood of Earth-like planets existing in those systems.

How effectively did the team test their approach using Machine Learning? They initiated their study by compiling a sample of planetary systems, some with Earth-like planets and some without. Since astronomers have only discovered about 5,000 stars that host orbiting planets, this sample size was too small for training machine learning models effectively. Consequently, the team generated three sets of planetary systems using a computational framework that simulates how planets form, based on the Bern model.

The Bern model initiates with 20 dust clumps, measuring around 600 meters, which is approximately 2,000 feet. These clumps help kickstart the accumulation of gas and dust into full-sized planets over a timespan of 20 million years. The planetary system evolves to a stable state over more than 10 billion years, leading to a Synthetic Planetary System that astronomers can utilize in their datasets. Using this model, they created 24,365 systems with sun-sized stars, 14,559 systems with similar stars, and 14,958 systems with different types of stars. Each group was further subdivided into those containing Earth-like planets and those without.

With these larger datasets in hand, the team utilized machine learning techniques known as Random Forest Models to categorize planetary systems based on their potential to host Earth-like planets. In a random forest setup, outputs are determined as either true or false through various components called trees that outline subsections of the entire training dataset. The team concluded that if a planetary system could host one or more Earth-like planets, the Random Forest algorithm should categorize it as “true.” They evaluated the algorithm’s accuracy using a metric known as the Precision Score.

The random forests made decisions based on specific characteristics within each synthetic planetary system. These factors included the number of planets, the presence of similar systems observed by astronomers, the system’s total planet count, and the mass and distance of planets over 100 times that of Earth, as well as the characteristics of the stars involved. The team allocated 80% of the synthetic planetary systems for training data, reserving the remaining 20% for initial testing of the completed algorithm.

The findings revealed that the random forest models accurately predicted where Earth-like planets are likely to exist with an impressive precision score of 0.99. Building on this success, they tested the model against data from 1,567 stars of similar sizes, each with at least one known orbiting planet. Out of these, 44 met the algorithm’s threshold for having Earth-like planets, suggesting that the majority of systems in this subset are stable enough to host such planets.

The team concluded that their models can effectively identify candidate stars for hosting Earth-like planets; however, they issued a caution. One concern is that the synthesis of planetary systems is time-consuming and resource-intensive, limiting the availability of training data. A more significant caution is rooted in the assumption that the Bern model accurately simulates the layered structure of planets. They urged researchers to rigorously validate their models for future theoretical work.


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Source: sciworthy.com

This Audacious Theory Suggests We Are Not the Planet’s First Advanced Civilization.

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For centuries, humanity has been intrigued by the possibility of encountering advanced civilizations beyond our planet. But what if such a society existed on Earth long before humans evolved?

In 2018, physicist Professor Adam Frank and climate modeler Dr. Gavin Schmidt published a paper exploring whether modern science might uncover traces of an extinct industrial civilization from millions of years ago. The paper is available here.

Dubbed “Silur’s Hypothesis,” after the advanced reptilian species from the long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, the researchers concluded that, while unlikely, evidence of such a civilization may be elusive.

The study focuses on the timeframe between 400 million and 4 million years ago, investigating what remnants this hypothetical society might have left behind.

Over just a few centuries, our industries have significantly altered global climate and ecosystems. If humanity were to vanish over millions of years, however, any direct evidence of our society would likely fade away.

Our largest cities could vanish within a geological instant due to erosion and tectonic activity.

Consequently, scientists searching for an ancient civilization should look for geological signatures of their existence.

Advanced civilizations, much like modern humans, would demand substantial energy and food production. As a result, we might anticipate similar indicators in Earth’s geologic layers, such as evidence of extensive carbon emissions, climate change, and rising sea levels.

Should pyramids reminiscent of alien architecture have been constructed by lost ancient civilizations millions of years ago, Silur’s Hypothesis suggests that discovering them would be quite unlikely.

The challenge lies in distinguishing climate change caused by fossil fuel-dependent civilizations from that induced by natural processes in the geological record.

Interestingly, there is a striking resemblance between current climate change and historical events on Earth referred to as “hyperthermal” events. One such instance occurred around 55 million years ago, where global temperatures surged by up to 8°C (14.4°F) and were accompanied by intense geological upheavals.

Another consideration is that the longer a sophisticated civilization endures, the more evidence it generates. However, for a civilization to have longevity, it must be sustainable, leading to reduced geological traces.

For instance, a civilization relying on wind and solar energy would leave less physical evidence compared to one powered by fossil fuels. This paradox explains why the traces of such civilizations, if they indeed existed, would be infrequent.

Silur’s Hypothesis encourages us to reflect on the imprints humanity leaves behind. Addressing these inquiries may enhance our search for advanced civilizations on other planets.

This article answers the question posed by Exeter’s Joshua Stucky: “If advanced civilizations lived on Earth millions of years ago, could we recognize their existence?”

For your inquiries, please reach out to us at Question @sciencefocus.com or Message Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (please include your name and location).

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Scientists Uncover Planets That Devour Stars

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In 2020, the Zwicky Transient Facility observed a location in the night sky that suggested the merging of two stars. This phenomenon was identified as a bright red nova, known as Submin’s Red Nova, or slrn. Two years later, astronomers revisited the same area and discovered indications that the star had engulfed nearby planets, referred to as ZTF SLRN-2020.

Earlier observations made using near-infrared telescopes revealed chemical traces such as titanium oxide and carbon monoxide. The event’s brightness was primarily in low-energy wavelengths rather than visible light, indicating a merger event involving bodies between the masses of Neptune and Jupiter.

The stars in this system are not active; the planet did not actively approach but was instead consumed by the star. This raised questions about the physical mechanisms that caused the interaction. The team examined two scenarios: one where a star expanded during its lifecycle to reach the planet’s orbit, and the other where a planet lost energy and spiraled inward toward the star, a phenomenon termed orbital attenuation.

To evaluate these scenarios, the team conducted follow-up measurements on ZTF SLRN-2020 using instruments onboard the JWST, specifically the Near-infrared Spectrometer and Mid-infrared Instrument. They also performed ground-based observations with the Gemini North Telescope Near-Infrared Imager. By combining data from these instruments, the team obtained a comprehensive understanding of the low-energy light emission patterns from ZTF SLRN-2020, revealing insights into the system’s current structure and dynamics.

Illustration of the ZTF SLRN-2020 system before and after the planet is engulfed. Left: A Sun-like star with an exoplanet akin to Neptune or Jupiter. Right: After the planet’s orbit decayed and it fell into the star, material was expelled, forming a cooler outer dust shell and a hotter inner dust disk. Created by the author using Microsoft PowerPoint.

In their analysis, astronomers identified four key characteristics. The remaining stars displayed a reddish hue, highlighting a significant presence of high-energy electrons in the star’s hydrogen, along with substantial carbon monoxide. There were also traces of phosphine, a compound typically found around gas giants and in the vicinity of young stars. Using computer modeling, the team evaluated which scenarios could realistically produce these observed patterns.

Measurements of star color indicated that ZTF SLRN-2020 is quite similar to the Sun but is roughly 70% of its size. The star is too young to have undergone the expansion associated with its later life stages. Consequently, the planet’s orbit became destabilized, leading to its gradual engulfment by the star. This collision likely released energy, igniting the star’s brightness in 2020 and stimulating the hydrogen in its outer layer.

The team theorized that during the collision, the star would have expelled material from the planet. The emissions of phosphine and carbon monoxide suggested that the ejected material originated from two different layers of dust around the star: a cold outer shell and a hot inner disk. Observations did not reveal any remnants of the planet’s core still orbiting the star, indicating that it was entirely consumed, losing even its outer layers.

The researchers deemed this event a new frontier in physics, as it marks the first observed case of planetary engulfment. The data collected from various instruments can provide future researchers with essential insights when investigating similar instances.


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Source: sciworthy.com

Astronomers Identify Potential Dwarf Planets Orbiting Every 25,000 Years

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The recently identified Transneptunian object, which was named in 2017, stands out as one of the most prominent objects in our solar system, measuring approximately 700 km in diameter, thus qualifying as a dwarf planet.

All cut-out images of 19 detections for 2017 2017. Image credits: Chen et al, arxiv: 2505.15806.

Transneptunian Objects (TNOs) are small celestial bodies that orbit the Sun at distances greater than that of Neptune.

In the 30 years following the discovery of the first TNO outside Pluto, numerous research initiatives have been launched to explore the expansive regions of the outer solar system, resulting in the identification of over 5,000 TNOs to date.

The newly discovered TNO is significant for two main reasons: its unique trajectory and substantial size.

“The object’s aphelion—the furthest point in its orbit from the Sun—is over 1,600 times the distance of Earth’s orbit,” states Dr. Sihao Chen, an astronomer at the Institute of Advanced Research and Boundary Research.

“Conversely, its perihelion—the closest point in its orbit to the Sun—is 44.5 times that of Earth’s orbit, akin to Pluto’s orbit.”

“This extreme trajectory takes around 25,000 years to complete, suggesting a complex gravitational history,” he adds.

“We likely experienced a close encounter with a massive planet, compelling us into this wide orbit,” comments Princeton University astronomer Dr. Elitas Yang.

“There may have been multiple phases in this transition.”

“The object might have initially been ejected into the Oort Cloud, the outermost region of the solar system, which is home to numerous comets.”

“Many extreme TNOs appear to follow similar trajectories, but 2017 OF201 stands out as an anomaly,” remarks Dr. Jiaxuan Li, also from Princeton University.

“This clustering is interpreted as indirect evidence suggesting the presence of another celestial body, often referred to as Planet X or Planet Nine, which could be influencing these objects through gravitational forces.”

“The existence of 2017 OF201 as an outlier in this clustering could potentially challenge this hypothesis.”

Astronomers estimate the diameter of 2017 OF201 to be 700 km, making it the second-largest object on such an extensive orbit.

“2017 OF201 can only be detected about 1% of the time when it is relatively close to us,” Dr. Chen notes.

“The presence of this solitary object implies that there may be around 100 other similar objects with comparable trajectories and sizes.”

Researchers discovered 2017 OF201 as part of an ongoing initiative to identify TNOs and potential new planets in the outer solar system.

The detection involved identifying bright spots in astronomical image databases from the Victor M. Blanco Telescope and the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), as well as attempting to trace groups of possible spots that indicate TNO movement across the sky.

Scientists identified 2017 OF201 in 19 different exposures collected over a span of seven years.

“Although advancements in telescopic technology have allowed us to explore distant realms of the universe, much remains to be uncovered within our own solar system,” concludes Dr. Chen.

The team’s paper has been published online at arxiv.org.

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Sihao Cheng et al. 2025. Discovery of new planet candidates in extremely wide orbits: 2017 OF201. arxiv: 2505.15806

Source: www.sci.news

Twin stars could be brought into orbit by planets similar to tattoos beyond our solar system

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new Like a tattoo Planets outside the solar system may orbit two The failed starScientists reported Wednesday.

Around 120 light years away, the exoplanet appears to be walking an unusual path around two brown d stars, whipping at the right angle. Brown dwarfs are sometimes called failed stars because they are lighter than stars but heavier than giant gas planets. The light year is nearly 6 trillion miles.

The brown dwarf pair was first discovered a few years ago. Scientists have noticed that twins celebrate each other, so they are always partially blocked when viewed from Earth.

In a new analysis, researchers found that brown dwarves were changing their movements. This is a habit that is more likely to occur when you go around each other on your own. This study was published in the journal Science Advances.

Scientists know more than 12 planets orbiting two stars, like the desert planets that burn the fictional “Star Wars” engulfed by the double sunsets that Luke Skywalker calls home.

Possible trajectories of exoplanet around two brown dwarfs.
L.calçada / eso via ap

The strange orbit of the new planet makes it stand out. But it’s not spy directly. Scientists say more research is needed to make sure it’s there and figure out its mass and trajectory.

“I still didn’t bet on my life that there was a planet,” said Simon Albrecht, an astrophysicist at Alfs University, who hadn’t played a role in the new research.

Investigating these eccentric bodies will help us understand how states beyond our solar system produce planets that are very different from our own, says Thomas Beycroft, a research author at the University of Birmingham.

The twin-star circling planet “has been in sci-fi for decades before we know that it can even exist in real life,” he said.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Saturn’s 128-Month Earning Surpasses Combined earnings of Other Planets

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Saturn currently has a total of 274 moons

NASA/JPL/Space Science Research Institute

Another 128 months were discovered, orbiting Saturn, bringing the planet to a total of 274. It's more than what's around all other planets in the solar system. However, astronomers face problems as advances in telescope technology allow them to gradually find small planetary objects.

Edward Ashton Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan and his colleagues have found a new moon with a telescope in Canada, France and Hawaii, revealing dozens who have previously avoided astronomers. They took several hours of imagery of Saturn, adjusted them through the sky for the movement of the planets, stacking them on top of each other, revealing objects that were otherwise too thin to be visible.

All new moons are 2 to 4 kilometres in diameter and could have been formed hundreds of millions or billions of years ago by collisions, Ashton said.

“These are tiny little rocks floating in space, so some people may not be doing anything,” Ashton says. “But I think it's important to have a catalog of all the objects in the solar system.”

The dot at the center of this image is one of the moons of Saturn’s new “fuzzy blob”

Edward Ashton et al. (2025)

Despite the wealth of data collected by his team, these most recent months still only appear as “fuzzy blobs,” Ashton says. There are more powerful telescopes that can solve Moon in more detail, Many people have small areas of vision, but that would mean taking more images, he says.

The newly discovered moon is recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and Ashton and his team You now have the right to name it. Ashton, a Canadian, says he approached representatives of Indigenous Canadian people for suggestions, but also pondered the idea of a kind of public naming contest.

Is there more moons there? Scientists have spent decades scanning the area around Saturn with an increasingly powerful telescope in recent years. In 2019, 20 new moons were found, and Ashton and his colleagues already 62 discovered Apart from the 128 that was recently discovered in 2023. Ultimately, further discoveries are likely to require advances in telescope technology, Ashton believes that thousands of moons are easily found in orbit around Saturn, and even discounting the small rocky remains found in the planet’s rings.

Mike Alexandersen The Minor Planet Center, which records the planetary bodies of the IAU, says there are likely many moons in the solar system, as telescope improvements allow you to see small objects. He says he has to make a decision about what he doesn’t do with the moon.

“I know that the IAU has decided not to prioritize naming anything smaller than a kilometer because of the number of months that are likely to exist. But that’s not the same as they don’t recognize it as the moon,” says Alexandersen. “Only if the spaceship goes to visit it would they name it.”

He suggests that the cutoff between the moon and the rock particles that form part of the planet’s rings is probably between 1 kilometres and 1 meter in diameter. “In the end, it’s probably going to be an IAU, not my decision. And it’s probably going to be a relatively arbitrary kind of thing,” says Alexandersen.

Elizabeth’s Day At Imperial College, London says one day there may even be commercial reasons to have an accurate map of the solar system. “You may want to extract resources from the asteroids and moons in your solar system, so make sure you understand what’s important to that,” says Day.

Kepler’s Renaissance Astronomy in Prague: Czech Republic

Discover the enormous heritage of Renaissance astronomers Johannes Kepler and Taicho Bray.

The article was revised on March 12, 2025

It revealed that Saturn’s total number of months is greater than other planets combined

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New Evidence of Four Subexternal Planets Discovered Orbiting Bernard’s Star

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For a century, astronomers have been studying Bernard's stars in the hopes of finding planets around them. First discovered by Ee Barnard at the Yerkes Observatory in 1916, it is the closest single star system to Earth. I'm using an astronomer now Maroon-X Instruments At the Gemini Northeres Scope, half of the NSF's International Gemini Observatory, there is solid evidence of three exoplanets around Bernard's star, two of which were previously classified as candidates. We also combined data from Maroon-X with data from Espresso instrument ESO's very large telescope confirms the existence of a fourth planet and raises it from candidate to candidate genuine exoplanet.

Illustration of an exoplanet artist orbiting Bernard's star. Image credits: International Gemini Observatory / Noirlab / NSF / Aura / P. Marenfeld.

Bernard's star is an M3.5 type star in the constellation of Ophetus.

Alpha Centauri's triple steller system is the closest star to the Sun, almost six light years away.

Also known as the Gliese 699 or GJ 699, Bernard's star is thought to be 10 billion years old due to its slow spin and low levels of activity.

According to a new study, stars host at least four planets, each with only about 20-30% of the Earth's mass.

They are very close to their home star, so in a few days they zip around the entire star.

It probably means they are too hot so uninhabitable, but this discovery is a new benchmark for discovering small planets around nearby stars.

“It's a really exciting discovery. The Bernard star is our universe's neighbor, but even so, we know little about it,” said doctoral degree Ritvik Basant. A student at the University of Chicago.

“The accuracy of these new instruments from previous generations signal a breakthrough.”

Stars are much brighter than planets, so it's easy to find the effects that planets have on them – such as watching the wind by seeing how the flag moves.

The Maroon-X instrument looks for one such effect. The gravity of each planet is pulled slightly towards the position of the star. In other words, the stars seem to wobble back and forth.

Maroon-X can measure the color of light very accurately, pick up these small shifts, and even bully the number of planets that have to circumvent the stars to have this effect.

Basant and colleagues rigorously coordinated and analyzed data taken on 112 different nights over three years.

They found solid evidence of three planets around Bernard's star.

When the team combined the findings with data from espresso instruments, they saw good evidence of the fourth planet.

“These planets are probably rocky planets, not gas planets like Jupiter,” the astronomer said.

“It would be hard to secure it secured. The angle seen from Earth means that they cannot see them crossing in front of the stars.

“But by gathering information about similar planets around other stars, we can make better guesses about their makeup.”

Team's Survey results It was released today Astrophysics Journal Letter.

____

Ritvik Basant et al. 2025. Four sub-Earth planets orbiting Bernard's star from Maroon X and Espresso. apjl 982, L1; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ADB8D5

Source: www.sci.news

Saturn boasts a total of 128 new moons, surpassing all other planets combined

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Saturn currently has a total of 274 moons

nasa/jpl/space science research institute

Another 128 months were discovered, orbiting Saturn, bringing the planet to a total of 274. It's more than what's around all other planets in the solar system. However, astronomers face problems as advances in telescope technology allow them to gradually find small planetary objects.

Edward Ashton Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan and his colleagues have found a new moon with a telescope in Canada, France and Hawaii, revealing dozens who have previously avoided astronomers. They took several hours of imagery of Saturn, adjusted them through the sky for the movement of the planets, stacking them on top of each other, revealing objects that were otherwise too thin to be visible.

All new moons are 2 to 4 kilometres in diameter and could have been formed hundreds of millions or billions of years ago by collisions, Ashton said.

“These are tiny little rocks floating in space, so some people may not be doing anything,” Ashton says. “But I think it's important to have a catalog of all the objects in the solar system.”

The dot at the center of this image is one of the moons of Saturn's new “fuzzy blob”

edward ashton et al. (2025)

Despite the wealth of data collected by his team, these most recent months still only appear as “fuzzy blobs,” Ashton says. There are more powerful telescopes that can solve Moon in more detail, Many people have small areas of vision, but that would mean taking more images, he says.

The newly discovered moon is recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and Ashton and his team You now have the right to name it. Ashton, a Canadian, says he approached representatives of Indigenous Canadian people for suggestions, but also pondered the idea of ​​a kind of public naming contest.

Is there more moons there? Scientists have spent decades scanning the area around Saturn with an increasingly powerful telescope in recent years. In 2019, 20 new moons were found, and Ashton and his colleagues already 62 discovered Apart from the 128 that was recently discovered in 2023. Ultimately, further discoveries are likely to require advances in telescope technology, Ashton believes that thousands of moons are easily found in orbit around Saturn, and even discounting the small rocky remains found in the planet's rings.

Mike Alexandersen The Minor Planet Center, which records the planetary bodies of the IAU, says there are likely many moons in the solar system, as telescope improvements allow you to see small objects. He says he has to make a decision about what he doesn't do with the moon.

“I know that the IAU has decided not to prioritize naming anything smaller than a kilometer because of the number of months that are likely to exist. But that's not the same as they don't recognize it as the moon,” says Alexandersen. “Only if the spaceship goes to visit it would they name it.”

He suggests that the cutoff between the moon and the rock particles that form part of the planet's rings is probably between 1 kilometres and 1 meter in diameter. “In the end, it's probably going to be an IAU, not my decision. And it's probably going to be a relatively arbitrary kind of thing,” says Alexandersen.

Elizabeth's Day At Imperial College, London says one day there may even be commercial reasons to have an accurate map of the solar system. “You may want to extract resources from the asteroids and moons in your solar system, so make sure you understand what's important to that,” says Day.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Witness the Rare Alignment of 7 Planets in Tonight’s One Generation Planet Parade

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Observe the night sky tonight to witness a rare event known as the “Planet Parade,” where the planets in our solar system align in a row. This phenomenon involves Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune appearing in a straight line for a unique celestial display. This rare occurrence will not happen again until 2040.

The best time to view this spectacular event is on the evening of Friday, February 28th, 2025, when all seven planets will be visible in the sky. Astrophysicists like David Armstrong emphasize the significance of this planetary alignment and the rarity of such an occurrence.

https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2025/02/GettyImages-1319464294.mp4
The alignment of planets is a result of their orbits and speeds around the sun.

To best observe this phenomenon, head outdoors just after sunset to catch a glimpse of Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. For a more detailed view, consider using binoculars or a telescope to see the distinctive features of each planet. Find a dark, remote spot away from city lights for the optimal viewing experience.

Where should I look to see the planets?

Identifying the planets in the sky can be challenging, but each has its unique brightness and position. Look for Venus in the west, the brightest object after sunset, followed by Jupiter overhead. Keep an eye out for Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, as it remains low on the horizon. The planets’ loose alignment creates a visual path across the sky, making it easier to track their movements.

Why is this planetary parade happening?

The alignment of planets is a result of their orbits in the zodiac plane, creating the illusion of alignment from Earth’s perspective. While this alignment is purely visual and does not have a significant impact on Earth, it provides a fascinating celestial display for observers to enjoy.

Meet our experts

Dr. Sham Balaji: A researcher at King’s College London, specializing in cosmic particle physics and cosmology.

Matt Burley: An astronomer and reader at the University of Leicester’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.

David Armstrong: An associate professor at Warwick University focusing on planet detection and the Neptinia desert.

For more information, visit their profiles.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

This week, seven planets light up the sky, but the cosmic show will soon come to an end

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As we approach February, Skywatchers have a final opportunity to witness the “Planet Parade” lighting up the night sky.

The celestial event, where all seven planets in the solar system, apart from Earth, are visible most weeks, is set to provide the best viewing chances for Skywatchers worldwide on Friday. This is because mercury, which only recently appeared on the horizon, will be at its highest point above the horizon.

Starting from Friday, mercury and Saturn will become too dim and too low on the horizon for most observers.

If the conditions are right, it should be possible to spot five out of the seven planets with the naked eye with mercury and Saturn in mind. However, a telescope is necessary to view Uranus and Neptune.

Planetary parades occur when multiple planets are visible simultaneously and spread out in an arc across the sky. While not uncommon, it is rare for all seven planets to be visible at the same time. Four planets were visible before sunrise in August, but NASA states that five will not be visible again until October 2028.

To observe the planets in the sky this week, it is best to find locations on clear nights with minimal light pollution.

Saturn is visible near the horizon (it sets below the sky, making it harder to see during moonrise). Mercury has been far from the sun in recent weeks, making it easier to locate. After sunset, near Saturn, it can be seen low in the western sky.

Venus is also situated in the western part of the sky and is usually the easiest planet to spot due to its brightness.

Jupiter can be observed at dusk. NASA. Mars, meanwhile, is the last planet to set before sunrise.

Michael Shanahan, planetarium director at Liberty Science Center in New Jersey, suggests searching for mercury and Saturn with binoculars near the sunset point shortly after dusk.

As it gets darker, Jupiter, the brightest star in the sky, can be seen overhead. Towards the east, Mars on Earth remains quite bright,” he added.

Shanahan also mentioned that beyond Friday, individuals can witness what he described as “Planetal Ballet against the Starry Background.”

“Around March 10th, Venus will appear too low. Currently, Venus is a bright spot resembling an airplane,” he noted.

Planetary alignments occur due to the planets orbiting the Sun in a relatively flat, disc-like plane. They move along this metaphorical racetrack at their own pace. Mercury completes its orbit in 88 days, Venus takes 225 days, and Saturn takes over 29 years to orbit the Sun.

When multiple planets align on the same side of the metaphorical track, Jackie Faherty, an astronomer and senior research scientist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, explained to NBC News earlier this month.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Planets of the Solar System

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In the southwestern sky, Venus shines the brightest and is easy to spot. Saturn can be seen below Venus, but as the days progress, the other visible planets become harder to spot, sinking lower in the sky each day after sunset. Jupiter can be found in the southern part of the evening sky, while Mars appears in the eastern sky. Mercury should also be visible to the naked eye, but it is challenging to find due to its proximity to the sun.

By February 24th, mercury will be further from the sun, making it easier to spot after sunset near Saturn in the western sky.

For skywatchers with binoculars and telescopes, Uranus and Neptune can also be spotted with dedication, patience, and a Starchart, according to Faherty.

NASA refers to this event as the “Planet Parade,” where multiple bright planets are visible simultaneously overhead. This phenomenon occurs when all planets in our solar system orbit the sun on relatively flat disc-shaped planes, akin to cars on a racetrack. Each planet orbits the sun at different rates, resulting in them lining up in the sky at different points, like cars on a track.

The planetary parade will continue until February, with more opportunities to view multiple bright planets in the sky in the months and years ahead, including instances of four planets lining up before sunrise in late August, five planets before sunrise in October 2028, and five planets after sunset in February 2034.

Faherty sees this event as a great educational opportunity for newcomers to explore the universe in an engaging way, as the sky is always changing and full of surprises.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New research suggests that the powerful Marzcake shock can travel to even more distant red planets than believed.

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In new research, researchers on the planetary Used Global and high -resolution orbital images to discover fresh 21.5 m (71 feet) impact craters that appeared at the same time as one of the Marsquakes detected by NASA's Insight Lander. This means that the seismometer detected a meteor strike, not a geological activity in the planet. In the related research, they scan Through a large number of orbital image data, the 123 shock crater was formed from December 2018 to December 2022.

Calambus et al。 Textonically Active Cerberus Fossae A new 21.5-m MARS Impact Crater is associated with the Insight earthquake event S0794A. Image credit: NASA / JPL-CALTECH / Arizona University.

NASA's Insight Lander set the first seismometer on Mars and detected more than 1,300 Marsquakes. This is generated by the shaking deep of the planet (caused by a rock broken under heat and pressure) and a cosmic rock that collides with the surface.

Scientists not only glimpse the inside of Mars, as science glimpses how the waves of the earthquake change from these earthquakes when passing through the earth's crust, mantle, and core. I understand how all the rocky world, including the month, is formed.

In the past, researchers shot new shock craters images and found seismic data that matched the date and location of the crater layer.

However, two new studies indicate that the shaking and the new effects detected in Cerberus Fossae, which are particularly prone to earthquakes of 1,640 km (1,019 miles) of 1,640 km (1,019 miles) from insights, are the first correlation. Masu.

The diameter of the shock crater is 21.5 m, which is far from the insight than the scientist expected, based on earthquake energy.

Mars crusts have unique characteristics that are considered to suppress seismic waves generated by impact. The new analysis of Cerberusfossae concluded that the generated waves take more direct routes than the planet mantle.

The Insight team needs to re -evaluate the internal configuration and structural models of Mars, and explain how to make the impact -generated earthquake signals so deep.

“We thought that the energy detected from most of the earthquake events was moving through the crust of Mars,” said Dr. Constantinoscharamanbus, a researcher of Imperial College London. Masu.

“This discovery shows a deeper and faster path -it is called an earthquake highway, so that the earthquake can reach the farthest of the earth through the mantle.”

Researchers also wanted to find a crater within the location of about 3,000 km (1,864 miles) and find something that was formed while the Lander seismometer was recorded.

By comparing images before and after the context camera mounted on NASA's Mars Reconnasance Orbiter (MRO), I found 123 fresh craters to interact with INSIGHT data. Of these, 49 was a potential agreement with the earthquake detected by the Lander seismometer.

“I thought that CERBERUS FOSSAE has generated many high -frequency earthquake signals related to internal generated earthquakes, which suggests that some activities are not born there, and actually from the impact. Dr. Charalambous said.

The results of the survey also emphasize how researchers use AI to improve planetary science by using all data collected by NASA and ESA missions.

“Now, we have a lot of images from the moon and Mars, so the struggle is to process and analyze data,” said Dr. Dr., a member of the Bern University researcher. I mentioned it.

“We have finally arrived in the big data era of planetary science.”

Two new papers are posted journal Global physics research book。

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VT BICKEL et al。 2025. New impact on Mars: Related to systematic identification and insight earthquake events. Global physics research book 52 (3): E2024GL109133; DOI: 10.1029/2024GL109133

Constantinos Chara Ranboo et al。 2025. New impact on Mars: Unleash CERBERUS FOSSAE's shock detection. Global physics research book 52 (3): E2024GL110159; DOI: 10.1029/2024GL110159

Source: www.sci.news

Astrophysicists study planets, asteroids, and primordial black holes in Earth’s matter

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Primordial black holes have been theorized for decades and may even be the eternally elusive dark matter. However, primordial black holes have not yet been observed. These tiny black holes could become trapped in rocky planets or asteroids, consuming their liquid cores from within and leaving hollow structures behind, according to a duo of astrophysicists from the University at Buffalo, Case Western Reserve University, and National Donghua University. It is said that there is. Alternatively, microtunnels could be left in very old rocks on Earth, or in the glass or other solid structures of very old buildings.

An artist's impression of a primordial black hole. Image credit: NASA.

Small primordial black holes are perhaps the most intriguing and intriguing relics of the early universe.

They could act as candidates for dark matter, be sources of primordial gravitational waves, and help solve cosmological problems such as domain walls and the magnetic monopole problem.

However, so far no convincing primordial black hole candidates have been observed.

Professor Dejan Stojković of the University at Buffalo said: “Although the chances of finding these signatures are low, the search does not require many resources and the potential reward of providing the first evidence of a primordial black hole is enormous. It's going to become something.”

“We need to think outside the box because what has been done so far to find primordial black holes has not worked.”

Professor Stojkovic and colleague Dr. De Zhang Dai, of Case Western Reserve University and National Donghua University, are investigating how large hollow asteroids can grow without collapsing, and whether a primordial black hole is The probability of passing was calculated. Earth.

“Because of such long odds, we have focused on hard traces that have existed for thousands, millions, or even billions of years,” Dr. Dai said. .

“If the object has a liquid central core, a trapped primordial black hole could absorb the liquid core, whose density is higher than that of the outer solid layer,” Professor Stojković added.

“In that case, if the object was hit by an asteroid, the primordial black hole could escape from the object, leaving only a hollow shell.”

But would such a shell be strong enough to support itself, or would it simply collapse under its own tension?

Comparing the strength of natural materials such as granite and iron to their surface tension and surface density, the researchers found that such hollow objects could be less than one-tenth the radius of the Earth, making them smaller than normal We calculated that it was more likely to be an asteroid than a planet. .

“If it gets any bigger, it will collapse,” Professor Stojković said.

“These hollow objects could potentially be detected with telescopes. The mass, and therefore the density, can be determined by studying the objects' trajectories.”

“If an object's density is too low for its size, that's a good sign that it's hollow.”

For objects without a liquid core, the primordial black hole could simply pass through, leaving a straight microtunnel behind.

For example, a primordial black hole with mass 10twenty two grams, leaving a tunnel 0.1 microns thick.

Large slabs of metal or other materials could serve as effective black hole detectors by monitoring the sudden appearance of these tunnels, but very old materials from buildings that are hundreds of years old Searching for existing tunnels has a higher probability. From the oldest to rocks that are billions of years old.

Still, even assuming that dark matter is indeed composed of primordial black holes, they calculated that the probability that a primordial black hole would pass through a billion-year-old rock is 0.000001.

“You have to compare costs and benefits. Does it cost a lot of money to do this? No, it doesn't,” Professor Stojković said.

“So, to say the least, it's unlikely that a primordial black hole will pass through you during your lifetime. Even if you did, you probably wouldn't notice.”

“Unlike rocks, human tissue has a small amount of tension, so the primordial black hole won't tear it apart.”

“And while the kinetic energy of a primordial black hole may be huge, it is moving so fast that it cannot release much of that energy during a collision.”

“If a projectile is moving through a medium faster than the speed of sound, the molecular structure of the medium has no time to react.”

“If you throw a rock through a window, it will probably break. If you shoot a window with a gun, it will probably just leave a hole.”

team's paper Published in a magazine physics of the dark universe.

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De Chan Dai and Dejan Stojković. 2024. We're looking for planets, asteroids, and tiny primordial black holes on Earth. physics of the dark universe 46: 101662;doi: 10.1016/j.dark.2024.101662

Source: www.sci.news

How can we solve the planet’s plastic pollution crisis?

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plastic waste in indonesia

PA Image/Alamy

The world currently generates more than 50 million tonnes of “mismanaged” plastic waste each year, and some researchers predict that this flood of plastic pollution will double by mid-century. But he also said that if countries could agree to adopt four key policies during this period. This number could be reduced by 90 per cent if this week's global plastics deal is negotiated.

Plastic pollution ultimately chokes land and sea ecosystems. “This affects every level of the food chain, from phytoplankton cells to humans,” he says. Sarah-Jeanne Royer at the University of California, San Diego. Plastics also account for about 5% of greenhouse gas emissions.

That's why most of the world's countries are meeting this week in Busan, South Korea, to hammer out the final details of a global treaty to end plastic pollution. By 2022, 175 countries have already agreed to adopt a legally binding treaty For the past two years, we have been debating what exactly we should require, with particular disagreements over setting limits on production of new plastics.

To make the discussion more clear, douglas mcquarley The researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, used an artificial intelligence model trained on economic data to test how the policies they were considering would affect global plastic pollution. “I wasn't sure that [eliminating plastic pollution] It was actually possible,” McCauley said. “But it turns out we can get pretty close.”

They predict that under current conditions, plastic pollution is expected to almost double by 2050, reaching between 100 million and 139 million tonnes. However, all four policy combinations are still on the bill. Current draft treatywas sufficient to reduce this by over 90%.

The most influential of these was the mandate that plastic products contain at least 40% recycled material. This rule alone will cut plastic pollution in half by mid-century. Mr McCauley said this effect was significant because it would reduce demand for newly made or “virgin” plastics, while also stimulating demand for recycled materials. “Suddenly, there was a huge global recycling market.”

But recycling alone wasn't enough. “If our goal is to eliminate plastic pollution, we need to address it throughout its lifecycle,” he says. Further reductions would have required limiting virgin plastic production to 2020 levels. According to the model, this production cap would have reduced plastic pollution by about 60 million tons per year by mid-century. This change also had the biggest impact on greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production, as the extraction of fossil fuels and conversion into virgin plastics involves processes with large emissions.

A third policy would spend $50 billion on waste management, roughly equal to the production cap, especially if these funds go to low-income countries with poor infrastructure and where plastic pollution is most severe. reduced pollution. “When we start talking about global finance, [the amount of money needed] It’s not that big,” McCauley said. “Building a sanitary landfill is different from building a port.”

Plastic waste is increasing, and while some is recycled or destroyed, the majority is “mismanaged” and piles up as plastic pollution.

A. Samuel Pottinger et al.

Finally, a small tax on plastic packaging has reduced pollution by tens of millions of tons. The researchers based this estimate on case studies of how people reduced their plastic use in response to similar taxes. 5 cents fee Regarding disposable plastic bags in Washington DC. Funds raised through such taxes could also be used to pay for other changes, such as building waste management infrastructure or improving recycling systems.

Royer, who was not involved in the study, said he thinks all of these policies will help. Reducing the use of single-use plastics, such as shopping bags and plastic forks, through taxes or bans could also make a difference, she says. “If you look at plastic pollution in general, 40% of the plastic produced is single-use.”

However, she points out that local rules alone will never solve the problem. California, for example, banned some single-use plastic bags a decade ago and this year banned all such bags. But most of the plastic pollution that washes up on our shores comes from outside the state, with California's plastic waste typically washing ashore from Asia across the Pacific or being left behind by fishing. “There are no borders,” Royer says.

This is where the World Treaty comes into play. Researchers explore how different policies around the world can reduce three things: the amount of poorly managed plastic waste, the production of new plastics, and plastic-related greenhouse gas emissions. I showed you. By combining the four key policies seen in the graph below, all three measures reduced, specifically mismanaged waste, by 91%.

Researchers estimated the impact of different policies to reduce plastic

Source: www.newscientist.com

New observations from ALMA indicate that planets can form in challenging stellar environments

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Astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) to take high-resolution images of eight protoplanetary disks. sigma orionisa star cluster that is irradiated with strong ultraviolet light from a massive star. Surprisingly, they found evidence of gaps and rings in most of the disks. These are the substructures commonly associated with the formation of giant exoplanets.

These ALMA images show the rich disk structure around the star Sigma Orioni. Image credits: ALMA / ESO / JAO / National Astronomical Observatory of Japan / NRAO / Huang others.

“We expected that high levels of radiation within this cluster would inhibit planet formation in the outer regions of these disks,” the Columbia University astronomers said. jane fan.

“But instead, we are seeing signs that planets may be forming at distances of tens of astronomical units from their stars, similar to what we have observed in less harsh environments.”

Previous research has focused on regions of the disk with little ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

This study used ALMA's highest resolution to observe a disk in a much harsher environment.

“These observations suggest that the processes driving planet formation are very robust and can function even under difficult conditions,” said Dr. Huang.

“This gives us even more confidence that planets may be forming in many more places across the galaxy, even in areas previously thought to be too harsh.”

The discovery has important implications for understanding the formation of our own solar system, which likely evolved in a similar high-radiation environment.

These also motivate future studies of disks in more extreme stellar neighborhoods.

Astronomers used ALMA's most extended antenna configuration to obtain unprecedented detail in disk images, achieving a resolution of about 8 AU (astronomical units).

This allowed us to resolve several different gaps and rings on several disks.

The exact nature of these disk structures is still under debate, but it is thought that they either contribute to planet formation or are the result of interactions between the forming planet and the disk's material.

“Our observations suggest that the substructure is common not only in disks near mildly illuminated star-forming regions, but also in disks exposed to intermediate levels of external ultraviolet radiation.” the researchers said.

“If these substructures track planet-disk interactions, ice and gas giant planets may still be forming on Solar System scales in Sigma Orioni, but with very large semi-major axes (50 Giant planet formation in the ~100 AU) region may be rare compared to star formation in nearby regions. ”

“These observations motivate high-resolution imaging of the disk in more extreme ultraviolet environments to investigate the universality of the disk's substructure.”

of findings Coming up this week are: astrophysical journal.

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jane fan others. 2024. High-resolution ALMA observations of the highly structured protoplanetary disk of σ Orionis. APJ 976,132;doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad84df

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers examine how tides impact the interiors of planets and moons

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A team of scientists from the University of Arizona, Delft University of Technology, and the California Institute of Technology's Lunar and Planetary Institute has developed a new method to calculate how tides affect the interiors of the solar system's planets and moons. Importantly, they investigated the effects of internal tides on objects that do not have perfectly spherical internal structures.

Europa's surface stands out in this newly reprocessed color view. Image scale is 1.6 km per pixel. North of Europe is on the right. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SETI Institute.

Celestial tides refer to the deformations that celestial bodies experience when they interact with other bodies due to gravity.

Consider how Jupiter's powerful gravity pulls on its icy moon Europa.

Because Europa's orbit is not circular, the overwhelming gravitational pressure on Jupiter's moons changes as it moves along Jupiter's orbit.

When Europa is closest to Jupiter, the planet's gravity is most felt.

The energy of this deformation heats Europa's interior, allowing an ocean of liquid water to exist beneath the moon's icy surface.

“The same is true for Saturn's moon Enceladus,” says Dr. Alexander Byrne, a researcher at the California Institute of Technology.

“Enceladus has an ice shell that is expected to have much more aspherical symmetry than Europa.”

The body tides experienced by celestial bodies influence how the world evolves over time and, in cases like Europa and Enceladus, its potential habitability for life as we know it. may give.

“The tidal response of spherically symmetric objects has the same wavelength as the tidal forces. Lateral inhomogeneities generate additional tidal responses with spectra that depend on the spatial pattern of such fluctuations.” the researchers said.

“For Mercury, the Moon, and Io, the amplitude of this signal is as much as 1-10% of the dominant tidal response to long-wavelength shear modulus fluctuations, which exceed about 10% of the mean shear modulus.”

“For Europa, Ganymede, and Enceladus, a shell thickness variation of 50% of the average shell thickness could result in an additional signal of about 1% and about 10% for Jupiter's moons and Enceladus, respectively.”

The authors also discussed how their results can help scientists interpret observations made by missions to a variety of different worlds, from Mercury to the moon to the outer planets of our solar system. .

“Future missions such as BepiColombo and JUICE have the potential to measure these signals,” they said.

“Lateral changes in viscosity affect the distribution of tidal heating.”

“This may promote the thermal evolution of tidal bodies and influence the distribution of active areas.”

of findings will appear in Planetary Science Journal.

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Mark Rovira-Navarro others. 2024. A spectral method for calculating the tides of laterally inhomogeneous objects. planet. Science. J 5, 129; doi: 10.3847/PSJ/ad381f

This article is a version of a press release provided by NASA.

Source: www.sci.news

Astronomers suggest a new way to classify planets

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The current definition, established by the International Astronomical Union in 2006, states that to be considered a planet, an object must be in the solar system and orbit the Sun. However, this definition is problematic in that it is not quantitative and excludes exoplanets. A proposed new definition states that an object can orbit one or more stars, brown dwarfs, or stellar remnants, and sets a mass limit that should apply to any planet.

Artist's impression of an exoplanet and its host star. Image courtesy of Sci.News.

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted Resolution B5, which defines a planet as a celestial body that (a) orbits the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass so that its own gravity overcomes the forces of a rigid body, has a shape in hydrostatic equilibrium (approximately circular), and (c) is swept around its orbit.

“The current definition specifically mentions orbiting the sun,” said Professor Jean-Luc Margot of the University of California, Los Angeles.

“Thousands of planets are currently known to exist, but the IAU definition only applies to planets in our solar system.”

“We propose a new definition that can be applied to objects orbiting any star, stellar remnant, or brown dwarf.”

Prof Margot and his colleagues argue that the requirement to orbit the Sun is too specific, while other criteria in the IAU definition are too vague.

For example, it says that the planet has “gone out of orbit,” but doesn't say what that means.

The proposed new definition includes quantifiable criteria that can be applied to define planets inside and outside the solar system.

Under the new definition, a planet is (a) an object that orbits one or more stars, brown dwarfs, or stellar remnants; (b) a mass greater than or equal to 10twenty three kg, (c) is 13 times the mass of Jupiter (2.5 × 1028 kg).

The authors ran mathematical algorithms on the properties of objects in the solar system to determine which ones are densely populated.

This analysis reveals groups of distinct properties common to planets in our solar system, which can be used as a starting point for creating a general classification of planets.

For example, if an object's gravitational force is sufficient to accumulate or eject smaller objects nearby to clear a path, the object is said to be dynamically dominant.

“All planets in the solar system are dynamically dominated, but other objects, including dwarf planets like Pluto and asteroids, are not, so this property can be included in the definition of a planet,” Prof Margot said.

Dynamic dominance requirements dictate a lower mass limit.

But it's also possible that the potential planet is too large to fit the new definition.

For example, some gas giants can grow so large that thermonuclear fusion of deuterium occurs, and the object becomes a star known as a brown dwarf, no longer a planet. This limit has been determined to be more than 13 Jupiter masses.

On the other hand, the current requirement that it be spherical is more problematic.

Distant planets are rarely observed in enough detail to determine their shapes with certainty.

The researchers argue that even though planets are generally round, the shape requirements would be so difficult to implement that they are virtually useless for definitional purposes.

“Fixing the definition to mass, the quantity that is most easily measured, eliminates debate about whether a particular object meets the criteria – this is a weakness of the current definition,” said Dr Brett Gladman, a researcher at the University of British Columbia.

“The good news is that in the solar system,twenty one kg looks round.”

“Thus, any object that meets the proposed lower mass limit of 10twenty three kg is expected to be spherical.”

Team paper Published in Planetary Science Journal.

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Jean-Luc Margot othersA quantitative criterion for defining planets. Planet Science Journal 5,159; doi: 10.3847/PSJ/ad55f3

Source: www.sci.news

Research shows active hydrothermal systems on small ocean planets have the potential to sustain life

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Ocean worlds are planetary bodies with liquid oceans, often beneath an icy shell or within rocky interiors. In our solar system, several moons of Jupiter and Saturn are ocean worlds. Some ocean worlds are thought to have hydrothermal circulation, where water, rocks, and heat combine to pump and expel fluids to the ocean floor. Hydrothermal circulation influences the chemical composition of the water and rocks of ocean worlds and may help life develop deep beneath the icy surface. In a new study, planetary researchers used computer simulations of hydrothermal circulation based on well-understood systems on Earth to measure the effects of low gravity at values appropriate for ocean worlds smaller than our home planet. Simulations of ocean worlds with (lower) gravity result in fluid circulation that is roughly similar to that which occurs above and below the ocean floor on Earth, but with some key differences. Low gravity reduces buoyancy, so fluids do not become lighter as they heat up, which reduces their flow rate. This increases the temperature of the circulating fluids, which could lead to more extensive chemical reactions, possibly including those necessary to support life.

This diagram shows how Cassini scientists think rocks and water at the bottom of Enceladus’ ocean interact to produce hydrogen gas. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Southwest Research Institute.

Rock-heat-fluid systems were discovered on the Earth’s ocean floor in the 1970s, where scientists observed releases of fluids carrying heat, particles, and chemicals.

Many of the vents were surrounded by a novel ecosystem, including specialized bacterial mats, red and white tube worms and heat-sensing shrimp.

For the new study, Professor Andrew Fisher from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his colleagues used a complex computer model based on the hydrothermal cycle that occurs on Earth.

After varying variables such as gravity, heat, rock properties and depth of fluid circulation, the researchers found that hydrothermal vents could persist under a wide range of conditions.

If these flows occurred on an ocean world like Jupiter’s moon Europa, they could increase the chances of life surviving there as well.

“This study suggests that extraterrestrial ocean worlds may have supported low-temperature (but not hot enough for life) hydrothermal systems on timescales similar to those it took for life to become established on Earth,” Prof Fischer said.

The ocean circulation system on which the researchers based their computer model was discovered on the 3.5-million-year-old seafloor of the northwest Pacific Ocean, east of the Juan de Fuca Ridge.

There, cold undersea water flows through an extinct volcano (seamount), travels about 30 miles (48.3 km) underground, and then flows out into the ocean through another seamount.

“As water flows, it picks up heat, it’s warmer than when it entered, and its chemistry changes dramatically,” says Kristin Dickerson, a doctoral student at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

“The flow from seamount to seamount is driven by buoyancy – as water warms it becomes less dense and as it cools it becomes more dense,” Prof Fischer added.

“The difference in density creates a difference in fluid pressure within the rock, and the system is sustained by the flow itself. So as long as there is enough heat supplied and the rock properties allow for sufficient fluid circulation, the system will keep running. We call this a hydrothermal siphon.”

“Hot vent systems are primarily driven by sub-sea volcanism, while the Earth’s ocean floor experiences large amounts of fluid flowing in and out at much cooler conditions, driven primarily by Earth’s background cooling.”

“The flow of water through low-temperature vents is equivalent to all the rivers and streams on Earth in terms of the volume of water released, and accounts for about a quarter of the Earth’s heat loss.”

“About every 500,000 years, the entire volume of ocean water is pumped up and out of the ocean floor.”

Many previous studies of the hydrothermal circulation on Europa and Enceladus have considered hotter fluids.

“Cartoons and other illustrations often depict undersea systems that are similar to Earth’s black smokers, where cooler currents could occur just as much or even more than they do on Earth,” said Dr Donna Blackman from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The results show that in very low gravity, such as on the ocean floor of Enceladus, the circulation can continue at low to moderate temperatures for millions or billions of years.

This could help explain why small ocean planets can have long-lived fluid circulation systems beneath their seafloors despite limited heating: the inefficiency of heat extraction could extend their lifetimes considerably, potentially for the entire lifetime of the solar system.

Scientists acknowledge that it is uncertain when active hydrothermal systems will be directly observed on the ocean planet’s seafloor.

The distance from Earth and physical characteristics pose significant technical challenges for spacecraft missions.

“It is therefore essential to make the most of the available data, much of which is remotely collected, and to leverage the understanding gained from decades of detailed study of the analog Earth system,” the authors concluded.

their paper Published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.

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A.T. Fisher others2024. Gravitational maintenance of hydrothermal circulation in relation to the ocean world. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 129(6):e2023JE008202; doi:10.1029/2023JE008202

Source: www.sci.news

Is it possible for liquid water to exist on planets orbiting dwarf stars?

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Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi masterpiece Dune: Part 2 The film hits theaters in the US in spring 2024. The movie follows the power struggles of the noble families of the desert planet Arrakis. But what if humanity had become an empire that spanned thousands of worlds in the distant future, as depicted in the film? Sand Dunes How common are desert planets or planets with no water at all in movies and novels?

In the search for these planets, a good place to start is with the most common stars: astronomers have observed what are called small, faint, cool, reddish stars. Red dwarf They make up most of the stars in the galaxy. Astronomers who study planets around stars other than the Sun estimate that every star has at least one planet. About half of the planets around red dwarfs are small, rocky planets with compositions similar to Earth. On the ground planet. Therefore, the most common type of terrestrial planet is thought to be around a red dwarf star.

For decades, astronomers have thought that red dwarfs are too cold for liquid water to exist on their surfaces. To reach the temperature range needed to support liquid water, planets around cooler stars need to orbit closer to their host stars than planets around hotter ones. But unlike stars like the Sun, which have a constant brightness, red dwarfs are born hotter and brighter than their final state for most of their lives.

The terrestrial planets formed with 15 to 70 times more water than Earth, most of it coming from drifting icy comets. But the heat of the young red dwarf star causes the water on these planets to evaporate, turning from liquid to gas in their atmospheres. In the planet's atmosphere, the intense starlight breaks down the water vapor into oxygen and hydrogen. Photolysis. The heavier oxygen stays on the planet while the lighter hydrogen drifts away, and astronomers estimate that as a result, planets around red dwarf stars lose tens of times as much water as Earth's oceans over their first billion years.

A team of Japanese scientists led by Hiroshi Kawamura challenged the paradigm that planets around red dwarfs should lose all their water in this way. They proposed that two factors could significantly reduce the initial water loss of planets orbiting dwarf stars. First, water is decomposed by the intense light in the planet's atmosphere, but some water is produced in the atmosphere when reactive free hydrogen mixes with hydrogen superoxide. Second, the decomposition of water in the atmosphere produces oxygen gas, which protects the water from further intense light.

Kawamura's team used software called the Photochemical and Radiation Transport Model to Proteus To test whether the planet would lose less water if these two factors were taken into account. The researchers calculated the water loss for an Earth-like planet with a water vapor-filled atmosphere and huge oceans. The planet orbits the dwarf star at a distance about 2% of the distance it orbits around the Sun, relative to TRAPPIST-1, shown in the featured image above. The researchers assumed that the only chemical reaction occurring in the planet's atmosphere is between hydrogen and oxygen. Kawamura and his team ran the model once to see if the results differed from previous studies and how they changed depending on the altitude of the planet's atmosphere.

The team found that the model planet's atmosphere turned out as expected: It had a very high layer of atmosphere, where starlight split water into free hydrogen and oxygen atoms, with the hydrogen escaping into space, and a layer of oxygen gas formed below, reducing the intensity of the starlight at lower altitudes, and the free hydrogen mixed with hydrogen superoxide in a chemical reaction to produce more water.

Ultimately, they calculated that the amount of water lost to space was only about seven times that of Earth's oceans. This means that even if a terrestrial planet started at the low end of the water content range, it could still have eight times as much water as Earth's oceans after its first billion years of existence. The researchers suggested that their findings imply that rather than a galaxy filled with planets with little water, like Earth, the universe could contain worlds with vast oceans orbiting dwarf stars. In other words, future humans are likely to discover Arrakis, but not Caladan. Still, they suggested that future researchers should test planetary water loss models with different atmospheric compositions, alternative cooling processes, and water trapped in the planet's rocks and magma.


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Source: sciworthy.com

Planets consumed by billions of stars

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Artist's impression of a planet grazing the surface of a star

K. Miller/R. Hart (California Institute of Technology/IPAC)

It appears that at least one in every 12 stars devours a planet. This is because the star system can easily be destabilized when external objects such as rogueworlds or other stars fly nearby, and the disturbance can shake up the planet's orbit and throw the planet into the star. It is thought that it is.

Huang Liu Researchers from Australia's Monash University investigated how often this happens by observing 91 pairs of stars using some of the world's most powerful telescopes. They selected stars that were most likely to have formed together in a binary. This is because these couples should be formed with the same chemical composition. In doing so, researchers were able to determine whether one of them had swallowed a planet in the past. Doing so would change the planet's composition compared to its binary partner.

They found that about 8 percent of pairs contain one star that has eaten a planet, and show signs of being richer in heavy elements than its twin. Each of these stars appears to have ingested between 1.7 and 8.4 Earth masses of material. This is consistent with previous predictions.

“Our estimates are conservative,” Liu says. “I think the actual percentage may be higher, but it's still probably less than 20% or around 20%.” This can vary depending on where in the galaxy a particular star is born.

Understanding how many stars are eclipsed by planets is a potentially important part of understanding the abundance of life in the universe and our chances of finding it.

“The question is: how many stars and planets behave in ways that are conducive to the development of life?” meridith joyce Member of the research team at the Konkoli Observatory in Hungary. “Knowing how many stars there are and how many host planet stars there are are two parts of the calculation, but we also need to know how many stars are eating those planets.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Comets are the most likely carriers of life’s essential building blocks to planets in clusters

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Nearby neighboring worlds can slow down the comet enough to allow the building blocks of life to survive

Shutterstock/Bradaki

It may be easiest to deliver materials for life to neighboring planets. Comets can carry many of the key building blocks of life, such as amino acids and other organic compounds, but their ability to deliver those building blocks to a particular planet depends on the configuration of their broader systems. It may depend.

There are several ideas about how the ingredients for life began on Earth, but the common idea is that a comet hit the Earth and organic molecules were deposited here. But comets tend to travel through space at extremely high speeds, and if they hit a planet at more than about 20 kilometers per second, the chances of their important compounds surviving the impact are almost zero.

Richard Anslow Researchers at the University of Cambridge ran a series of simulations to investigate how planetary systems can slow down comets and reduce their impact velocity enough to preserve these compounds. In ideal conditions, a slow impact would leave behind a type of prebiotic soup called a comet pond within the impact crater.

They discovered that there are two types of systems that can slow down a comet by 5 to 10 kilometers per second. One is a system with relatively massive stars, where everything tends to orbit slightly. For planets that are slow and have several planets spaced closely together like peas in a pod, the comet could weave between them and lose speed over time. there is.

“The best planetary systems are on relatively low-mass planets like Earth, around high-mass stars similar to the Sun but perhaps even more massive, and close enough for other rocky planets to pass through.” “It would be in a planetary system that has comets around it,” Anslow said.

He said that if astronomers eventually detect signs of life on other planets, simply examining the overall system configuration could help them understand how it got there. and that it could advance our limited understanding of how life formed. Earth.

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Source: www.newscientist.com