Earth may have had a Saturn-like system of rings in the distant past, according to a recent study that suggests that our home planet may have possessed such a magnificent feature. Typically associated with the Solar System’s large outer planets, the temporary presence of these rings may explain not onlyread more
Four years ago a team of scientists found potential evidence of life in the atmosphere of our closest planetary neighbor, Venus, despite the metal-meltingly hot temperature and crushing pressure experienced on the surface; however, this discovery was followed shortly afterward by a dismissal of the claims, after subsequent searches failed to yieldread more
Astronomers have discovered the presence of what is the largest molecule yet detected in a protoplanetary cloud that surrounds a young star. While not expected to have been produced by biological means, this relatively complex organic compound could be a precursor to the formation of even larger molecules, including onesread more
A UK-based nonprofit organization has proposed a mission to explore the Solar System’s first known interstellar visitor, the strange object called ʻOumuamua, via an ambitious long-range probe that would take decades to reach the enigmatic voyager. The proposal, called “Project Lyra” by the Initiative for Interstellar Studies, involves launching a spacecraftread more