The formation of the solar system is a challenging puzzle for modern astronomy and a terrific tale of extreme forces operating over immense timescales. Let's dig in.
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I can't help but start with: In the beginning, there was nothing. But it wasn't quite nothing. All stars form from the collapse of nebulae, which are loose clouds of gas and dust, and our sun — and solar system — are no different. Astronomers call it the "pre-solar nebula" and of course it isn't around today, but we've seen enough solar systems forming throughout the galaxy to get the general picture.
Quite a lot has been going on:
Astronomer on quest to find worlds beyond solar system, Singapore News & Top Stories - The
When a young PhD student and his professor were studying more than 100 stars at an observatory in south-east France in 1994, they made a discovery that revolutionised the world's understanding of the cosmos.
Student Didier Queloz and his adviser, astrophysicist Michel Mayor, noticed that one of the stars was wobbling, a sign that a planet's gravity might be pulling on it.
A year later, a momentous announcement shocked the astronomy scene: The two Swiss scientists had discovered the first planet outside the solar system that spins around a sun-like star. Such planets are known as exoplanets.
Uncovering distant worlds beyond the solar system, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits
When a young PhD student and his professor were studying more than 100 stars at an observatory in south-east France in 1994, they made a discovery that revolutionised the world's understanding of the cosmos.
Student Didier Queloz and his adviser, astrophysicist Michel Mayor, noticed that one of the stars was wobbling, a sign that a planet's gravity might be pulling on it.
A year later, a momentous announcement shocked the astronomy scene: The two Swiss scientists had discovered the first planet outside the solar system that spins around a sun-like star. Such planets are known as exoplanets.
Largest canyon in the solar system revealed in stunning new images | Space
Using an incredibly high-resolution camera called HiRISE (short for High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, UA scientists have been taking close-up shots of the planet's strangest features since 2006. Despite some truly breathtaking images of Valles Marineris — like the one below, posted to the HiRISE website on Dec. 26, 2020 — scientists still aren't sure how the gargantuan canyon complex formed.
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Evidence suggests that subsequent landslides, magma flows and, yes, even some ancient rivers probably contributed to the canyon's continued erosion over the following eons. Further analysis of high-resolution photos like these will help solve the puzzling origin story of the solar system's grandest canyon.
Were you following this:
Neptune's bumpy childhood could reveal our solar system's missing planets | Popular Science
A Field Guide to the Magnetic Solar System - Eos
Congratulations! With the IP9, the new interplanetary model in Eos's signature line of magnetic compasses, you've chosen a travel companion that will serve you as best it can on the many GPS-challenged bodies of our solar system—be your plans a hike on Mercury, a ride on Mars, or a glide over Neptune.
Before you start using your compass, please note that your warranty is voided when you drop your IP9 onto a hard surface or into a high-pressure or high-temperature environment, or store it unshielded from magnetic fields during extended periods of interplanetary travel.
These close-up photos of the largest canyon in the solar system are gorgeous | Popular Science
Stretching 18 miles wide and averaging 4,000 feet deep, the Grand Canyon is absolutely humbling to us wee humans. But it seems pitiful in comparison to the Valles Marineris canyon on Mars, which is roughly ten times longer and five times deeper than the Grand Canyon—stats that earn it the title of the largest canyon in the entire solar system.
Numbers alone are one thing, but breathtaking close-up images of Valles Marineris recently released by the University of Arizona put the stats into perspective. And they're not just nice to look at—they'll help researchers better understand how this gigantic chasm formed, which is still largely a mystery.
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