Across the galaxy, astronomers now see that planetary systems fall into four broad classes, and our own solar system, part of the rare Ordered group, is only one of them. At the same time, discoveries ...

If you look across space with a telescope, you'll see countless galaxies, most of which host large central black holes, ...

About 4.6 billion years ago, a celestial cloud collapsed, paving the way for our solar system to form. Then, a nebula with strong gravitational pull took shape, kick-starting the birth of the sun. But ...

When two giant planets collide, an even bigger world may be born. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Based on new simulations, ...

"We must rethink how we create computer models for planet formation and early evolution in the young universe." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s ...

Conditions in the early universe might have enabled rocky planets with water to form much earlier than anticipated, potentially allowing life to begin sooner too. Astrophysicists studying the early ...

This is a James Webb Space Telescope image of NGC 346, a massive star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that is one of the Milky Way's nearest neighbors. With its relative lack of ...

For centuries our solar system was the only planetary system known to humans. We had no proof other worlds existed beyond those in our own cosmic backyard, and we imagined that if other planetary ...

Astronomers have revealed new evidence that there are not just one but four tiny planets circling around Barnard's Star, the second-nearest star system to Earth. Astronomers have revealed new evidence ...

Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have detected the strongest evidence yet for an atmosphere on a rocky ...

Lucas Brefka receives funding from a NASA Exoplanet Research Program grant. Christopher Palma does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would ...

Some of the most promising places to look for extraterrestrials have remained, so far, mostly hidden from astronomers. Now a game-changing instrument called NIRPS (Near-Infrared Planet Searcher) is ...