Astronomers have spotted an intriguing cluster of objects in the Kuiper belt, the enormous, donut-shaped region of icy objects beyond the orbit of Neptune. This latest “inner kernel” was identified by ...

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 ...

Our solar system is a smashing success. A new study suggests that from its earliest period — even before the last of its nebular gas had been consumed — Earth’s solar system and its planets looked ...

The number of confirmed planets outside of our solar system—known as exoplanets—has risen to 6,000, NASA has said. There is huge variety across these distant worlds, the space agency says, with ...

More than 2 billion kilometers farther from the sun than Pluto, a frigid world named Makemake sports the most distant gas ever seen in our solar system, new observations reveal. “By surprise, we found ...

Ammonite, officially designated 2023 KQ14, is a distant world that keeps its cool far beyond Neptune. The discovery appears in a peer reviewed study that also puts fresh pressure on the idea of a ...

Astronomers have been fascinated after spotting an object earlier this year that came from interstellar space as is now hurtling through our inner solar system. Regardless, it’s an interesting visitor ...

A composite image showing the five dwarf planets recognized by the International Astronomical Union, plus the newly discovered trans-Neptunian object 2017 OF201. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech; image of ...

When I was a kid, there were nine planets. Now we know of thousands! But that includes exoplanets, alien worlds that orbit alien suns. Only eight planets call our solar system home. Or there might ...

For centuries, humans have gazed into the night sky, wondering what lies beyond the planets we know. Each new discovery in the Solar System reshapes our sense of place in the cosmos. Now, astronomers ...

Aliens may have been closer to Earth than first thought. New research from NASA reveals that Ceres, the dwarf planet in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, harbored the right conditions to ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Beyond the familiar planets lies a fascinating frontier filled with icy worlds, mysterious orbits ...