Astronomers recently announced the discovery of the exoplanet GJ 251 c, located just 18 light-years from Earth and orbiting its red-dwarf host star every 54 days. What makes this find so significant is that GJ 251 c falls within what’s known as the habitable zone—where liquid water might exist—and is estimated to have about four…
Astronomers have recently detected an astonishing new cosmic structure: RAD J131346.9+500320, the most powerful and distant Odd Radio Circle (ORC) discovered to date. This entity boasts two enormous, intersecting rings—each roughly 300,000 light-years across—embedded in a vast radio cloud extending over 3 million light-years. The interplay between these rings, especially at their crossing, hints at…
Astronomers have achieved a landmark moment: the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has directly imaged a previously unknown exoplanet, TWA 7 b, marking one of the most significant advances in observational astronomy. Located about 34 light-years away, TWA 7 b is a young, cold gas giant roughly the size of Saturn, orbiting the red dwarf…
K2-18b has captivated the scientific world as one of the most compelling Hycean planet candidates—exoplanets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres and subsurface liquid oceans. Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope detected prominent molecules like water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and, notably, dimethyl sulfide (DMS)—a compound produced by marine algae on Earth and a potential biosignature. This…
Astronomers, led by teams working with the James Webb Space Telescope, have detected silica-based ‘sand clouds’ in the atmosphere of two young gas giants—YSES‑1 b and YSES‑1 c—in the Musca constellation. At just 16.7 million years old, this planetary system presents a rare opportunity to observe planetary weather in its formative epoch. Explorers using JWST noted dense…
Among the many enigmas of modern cosmology, “dark flow” stands as one of the most intriguing. Discovered through observations of galaxy clusters using NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), dark flow refers to the unexpected and consistent motion of galaxy clusters in one direction—toward a specific point in the sky—at velocities that defy current explanations…
Deep beneath the Moon’s dusty surface lie enigmatic voids known as lunar pits—skylight openings into vast lava tubes that may hold invaluable insights into the Moon’s origins. These underground structures, formed billions of years ago during volcanic activity, remain largely unexplored. NASA’s recent Artemis program and international robotic missions aim to send miniature drones and…
While the Moon is Earth’s only large natural satellite, few know about the mysterious Kordylewski clouds—massive dust accumulations that orbit near Earth’s Lagrange points L4 and L5. First reported in 1961 by Polish astronomer Kazimierz Kordylewski, these clouds are difficult to detect due to their faint visibility and constantly shifting shape. They’re not solid moons,…
Often overlooked in favor of stars and planets, cosmic dust plays a surprisingly crucial role in the structure and evolution of the universe. These microscopic particles, composed of elements like carbon, silicon, and iron, are forged in the atmospheres of dying stars and dispersed across space. Though minuscule, cosmic dust influences everything from star formation…
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched in December 2021, has ushered in a new era of space exploration—particularly in the search for habitable exoplanets. With its advanced infrared capabilities and precision optics, JWST can analyze the atmospheres of distant planets orbiting other stars, identifying biosignature gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane. Unlike…