Tag: solar system

Comet ‘most pristine’ object from outer space seen in Solar System

    by Marlowe HOOD / Patrick GALEY Agence France Presse A newly observed interstellar comet is the most pristine visitor from outer space ever seen in our Solar System, according to a pair of studies released Tuesday detailing its unique characteristics. Pristine, in astronomical terms, describes a comet that has never passed close enough to a star to be transformed by its searing heat. 2I/Borisov was discovered in 2019 by Ukrainian astrophysicist Gennady Borisov […]

Recto files bill mandating installation of solar energy systems in all gov’t offices

(Eagle News)–Senator Ralph Recto has filed a bill seeking to have all government buildings and offices utilize solar energy systems in a reported bid to reduce utility costs and promote the development of renewable energy resources. Under Senate Bill No. 48 or the bill on Solar Energy in National Government Offices, Recto seeks the installation of solar energy systems that can initially  supply 10 percent of the power supply of government offices or buildings. The […]

Mercury mission to explore origin of Solar System

by Laurence COUSTAL Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Is Mercury’s core liquid or solid, and why — on the smallest planet in our solar system — is it so big? What can the planet closest to the Sun tell us about how our solar system came into being? An unmanned European-Japanese space mission, dubbed BepiColombo, blasted off early Saturday morning from French Guiana, to probe these and other mysteries. “BepiColombo is coming like […]

No alien ‘signals’ from cigar-shaped asteroid: researchers

PARIS, France (AFP) — No alien signals have been detected from an interstellar, cigar-shaped space rock discovered travelling through our Solar System in October, researchers listening for evidence of extraterrestrial technology said Thursday. The object, dubbed Oumuamua, was spotted by several Earthly telescopes two months ago. Given its weird trajectory, surprised researchers immediately concluded it was from beyond our planetary system — the first interstellar object ever identified in our midst. The rock is thought […]

NASA says interstellar object pays ‘visit’ to our Solar System

Reuters — A small asteroid or comet that has been spotted racing through our solar system may have come from elsewhere in the galaxy, U.S. space scientists say, possibly marking the first such interstellar visitor observed from Earth. The mystery object, so far known only as A/2017 U1, was discovered earlier this month by a researcher using a sophisticated telescope system at the University of Hawaii that continually scans the universe for such phenomenon. The […]

Dwarf planet has a ring to it: study

PARIS, France (AFP) — Move over Saturn! Scientists have found a ring around an unassuming mini-planet in our Solar System to debunk the theory that only giant planets can be so adorned. The planet, dubbed Haumea, orbits the Sun far beyond Neptune — the eighth and furthest recognized “full” planet in our star system since Pluto was downgraded to dwarf status in 2006. About eight billion kilometers (five billion miles) from the Sun, Haumea spins […]

Mysterious Planet 10 may have warped the Kuiper Belt

(REUTERS) — United States scientists have found evidence to support the existence of the unseen Planet 10, which is much closer than the previously reported Planet Nine, a planet that has not yet been fully proven to exist. The Kuiper Belt is a disc-shaped region that contains icy bodies, space rocks and dwarf planets such as Pluto. It is understood that Kuiper Belt objects orbit the sun with an orbital tilt, while those at least […]

Scientists launch campaign to restore Pluto to the planet club

Reuters — A team of scientists seeking to restore Pluto to planet hood launched a campaign on Tuesday (March 21) to broaden the astronomical classifications which led to its demotion to a “dwarf planet” a decade ago. Six scientists from institutions across the United States argued that Pluto deserves to be a full planet, along with some 110 other bodies in the solar system, including Earth’s moon. In a paper presented at an international planetary […]

Habitable planet found in solar system next door

PARIS, France (AFP) — Scientists Wednesday announced the discovery of an Earth-sized planet orbiting the star nearest our Sun, opening up the glittering prospect of a habitable world that may one day be explored by robots. Named Proxima b, the planet is in a “temperate” zone compatible with the presence of liquid water — a key ingredient for life. The findings, based on data collected over 16 years, were reported in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. […]

Discovery of exoplanet sheds light on planet formation

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Astronomers announced Monday the discovery of the youngest planet ever found outside our solar system, lending new insight into how planetary systems form. The 11 million-year-old exoplanet, named K2-33b, swiftly orbits around its star — K2-33 — in just 5.4 days. The exoplanet’s existence suggests that planets can quickly finalize their orbital distances after forming. Astronomers have published details of their findings in the Astronomical Journal, a scientific review published […]

NASA prepares for Juno spacecraft’s Jupiter orbit

CALIFORNIA, United States (Reuters) — After nearly a five year wait, scientists at NASA will get their very first close-encounter with Jupiter. Launched in August of 2011, the Juno spacecraft will enter into orbit around the largest planet in the solar system on July 04 after a 445-million mile (716-million km) journey. On Thursday (June 09), NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory opened the doors to one of their ‘clean rooms’ which held a large, 1/4 scale […]

Astronomers discover type of rocky planet much bigger than Earth

(Reuters) – Astronomers have discovered a new type of rocky planet beyond the solar system that weighs more than 17 times as much as Earth while being just over twice the size, scientists said on Monday. The so-called “mega-Earth” circles a very old star called Kepler-10, which is located about 560 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Draco. The discovery, announced at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Boston, was a surprise since planets […]