The Jovian system has four large moons, including the largest moon in the Solar System, Ganymede, whereas the Saturnian system is dominated by one giant moon. New simulations suggest Jupiter’s powerful magnetism carved a gap in its early disk, helping capture and preserve major moons like Io and Ganymede, while Saturn’s weaker field left its…
Using the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) onboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have characterized the atmosphere of TOI-5205b, an extrasolar gas giant orbiting a small, dim red dwarf star. These observations have revealed an atmosphere unexpectedly poor in heavy elements, raising fresh questions about how such ‘forbidden’ alien worlds take shape and evolve. The…
Using the Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) on the Gemini South telescope at the International Gemini Observatory, astronomers have directly measured the atmospheric composition of WASP-189b and found it echoes the elemental makeup of its host star, offering the clearest evidence yet that planets inherit their chemical identities from the disks that formed them. An…
A new analysis of isotopic signatures across planets and meteorite parent bodies suggests our home world formed entirely from inner solar system material, challenging long-standing theories of distant origins. An artist’s impression of the asteroid 2025 MN45. Image credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory / NOIRLab / SLAC / AURA / P. Marenfeld. “Our calculations…
Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and VLT Interferometer (VLTI) in Chile, astronomers have directly observed two gas giants emerging from the planet-forming disk around a star known as WISPIT 2, offering one of the clearest views yet of how a planetary system may form. The arrangement, marked by gaps and rings in the surrounding…
