Solar System

Latest about Solar System

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2024

By Tariq Malik last updated

Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2024.

Reference
True colour satellite image of the Earth showing Greenland, Europe and Northern Africa, with cloud coverage.

This spot will be key to the inevitable collapse of a key Atlantic current

By Sascha Pare published

New modeling research reveals that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is particularly vulnerable to shifts in the Irminger sea off Greenland from increasing Arctic meltwater.

Earth

'Cataclysmic' solar storm hit Earth around 2687 years ago, ancient tree rings reveal

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

If this colossal solar storm hit our technologically advanced world the effects would have been devastating.

The Sun
color-coded display from NASA shows the outward movements of dynamic solar activity.

Watch a mesmerizing simulation of the sun’s behavior from NASA (video)

By Julian Dossett published

The sun's complex behavior still holds many mysteries.

The Sun
A black and white field of view with a faint white dot in red crosshairs

Goodnight moon! Astronomers snap photo of Earth's departing mini-moon

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers used the Two-meter Twin Telescope to catch a "see-you-soon" image of the asteroid 2024 PT5 as it ended its stint as Earth's second moon on Monday (Nov. 25).

Asteroids
Two astroanuts in white spacesuits stand on either side of a red flag, standing in the center on the moon's surface. On the left, a moon lander with two circular solar panels. On the right, a moon rover.

How China plans to put astronauts on the moon by 2030 (video)

By Andrew Jones published

China's human spaceflight agency has released a video detailing its plans for a first crewed mission to the moon, including progress on lunar hardware.

The moon
The southern hemisphere of Jupiter hangs from above in black space, striped in false color blues, violets, and dark reds

Magnetic tornadoes on Jupiter are spawning Earth-size storms

By Keith Cooper published

Magnetic vortices twisting down from Jupiter's ionosphere into its deep atmosphere cause giant, ultraviolet-absorbing polar anticyclones, each the size of our Earth.

Jupiter
An illustration of the asteroid PT5 as it leaves Earth after a stint as our "second moon."

Earth's mini-moon has finally departed. Will it ever return as a 'second moon?'

By Robert Lea published

Departing on Monday (Nov. 25), Earth's recent "mini-moon" asteroid 2024 PT5 didn't stick around for Thanksgiving, but don't be sad. It will be back... but will it ever be a second moon again?

Asteroids
two grey rocks in orbit around a reddish-orange planet

Mars may have made its 2 moons by ripping an asteroid apart

By Keith Cooper published

A new theory proposes that Phobos and Deimos resulted from the wreckage of a larger asteroid that wandered too close to Mars and was ripped apart.

Mars
an array of planetary bodies and an asteroid belt stretch from left to right across space.

A super-Earth beyond Mars would have made Earth nearly uninhabitable

By Kiona N. Smith published

There's something big missing from our solar system — and that may be a good thing.

Solar System
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