Solar System

A meteorite found in the Sahara Desert has provided the first direct evidence of a massive protoplanet that orbited the young Sun more than 4.5 billion years ago. The object, comparable in size to the Moon, was destroyed in a collision, leaving fragments that reached Earth. Researchers say the discovery reveals a previously unknown path in early planet formation.

19. kesäkuuta 2026 Raportoinut AI

Researchers have identified an unknown compound absorbing specific wavelengths of light on both Saturn's moon Titan and the dwarf planet Pluto. The finding comes from data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Samples from asteroid Bennu, returned by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission in 2023, contain amino acids that likely formed in frozen ice exposed to radiation, according to new research. Penn State scientists analyzed isotopes in the material, challenging traditional views of amino acid origins. The findings, published on February 9, highlight diverse pathways for life's building blocks in the early solar system.

07. helmikuuta 2026 Raportoinut AI

Scientists have proposed a solution to a long-standing puzzle from NASA's Voyager 2 mission to Uranus in 1986. The spacecraft detected unexpectedly high radiation levels, which new analysis attributes to a rare solar wind event. This discovery highlights similarities in space weather between Uranus and Earth.