Astronomers have spent years searching for a possible hidden giant planet far beyond Neptune。 Unusual orbits among distant Kuiper Belt objects have fueled the Planet Nine theory, but recent discoveries are challenging the idea by showing more stable motion than expected。 If Planet Nine exists, it may be much farther away than originally thought
A rare meteorite has revealed evidence of a massive lost world that once orbited the young Sun before being destroyed in a catastrophic collision。 The discovery suggests some early planets formed from dramatically different materials than Earth and Mars, rewriting part of the solar system’s origin story
The race to build data centers in space is gaining momentum as AI drives unprecedented demand for computing power。 Orbital facilities could tap into abundant solar energy and avoid many of the environmental challenges faced on Earth。 Yet space remains a harsh and expensive place to operate, with major hurdles including cooling, maintenance, radiati
Using the Keck Observatory, astronomers measured the spins of dozens of giant planets and brown dwarfs orbiting distant stars。 They found that giant planets can spin faster than much more massive brown dwarfs, challenging simple assumptions about mass and rotation。 The results suggest that magnetic fields and formation processes play a major role i
A lightweight new X-ray telescope could finally give scientists something they’ve never had before: a complete chemical map of the Moon。 Researchers used detailed mission simulations to show that a compact telescope orbiting the Moon could identify key elements across the entire lunar surface, helping reveal how the Moon formed and evolved
MIT researchers have shown that one fuel can power both chemical and electric spacecraft thrusters, potentially transforming what small satellites can do。 The approach combines quick bursts of speed with highly efficient long-range propulsion in a single compact system。 A NASA-supported CubeSat mission will soon test the technology in orbit