//www.koonmotors.com/news/space_time/solar_system/ Solar System Planets. Astronomy articles on the eight planets, plus the two dwarf planets, Pluto and Eris. Great pictures of everything in the solar system. Updated daily. en-us Fri, 08 Sep 2023 22:49:52 EDT Fri, 08 Sep 2023 22:49:52 EDT 60 //www.koonmotors.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png//www.koonmotors.com/news/space_time/solar_system/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230831121751.htm Scientists have detected and validated two of the longest-period exoplanets found by TESS to date. These long period large exoplanets orbit a K dwarf star and belong to a class of planets known as warm Jupiters, which have orbital periods of 10-200 days and are at least six times Earth's radius. This recent discovery offers exciting research opportunities for the future of finding long-period planets that resemble those in our own solar system. Thu, 31 Aug 2023 12:17:51 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230831121751.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230831121723.htm A Neptune-sized planet denser than steel has been discovered by an international team of astronomers, who believe its composition could be the result of a giant planetary clash. Thu, 31 Aug 2023 12:17:23 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230831121723.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230829160720.htm Astronomers have uncovered a link between Neptune's shifting cloud abundance and the 11-year solar cycle, in which the waxing and waning of the Sun's entangled magnetic fields drives solar activity. Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:07:20 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230829160720.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230824111928.htm Using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have observed a large dark spot in Neptune's atmosphere, with an unexpected smaller bright spot adjacent to it. This is the first time a dark spot on the planet has ever been observed with a telescope on Earth. These occasional features in the blue background of Neptune's atmosphere are a mystery to astronomers, and the new results provide further clues as to their nature and origin. Thu, 24 Aug 2023 11:19:28 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230824111928.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230811172145.htm Megastorms regularly appear on Saturn, marring the relatively bland surface before disappearing. But radio observations show that the storms have long-lasting effects deeper in the atmosphere, in particular in the distribution of ammonia. Using NRAO's Very Large Array, astronomers see such impacts from storms that happened hundreds of years ago. The findings will help explain the differences between storms on the gas giants Saturn and Jupiter. Fri, 11 Aug 2023 17:21:45 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230811172145.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230809164721.htm New observations of mud cracks made by the Curiosity Rover show that high-frequency, wet-dry cycling occurred in early Martian surface environments, indicating that the red planet may have once seen seasonal weather patterns or even flash floods. Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:47:21 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230809164721.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230802105822.htm Researchers have analyzed the shifting patterns of entire dune fields on Earth and Mars, as seen from orbit, and found they are a direct signature of recent environmental change. This new tool can be applied anywhere with dunes, such as Mars, Titan, and Venus. Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:58:22 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230802105822.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230727144159.htm 去年,詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜由Gany光谱观测的mede and infrared observations of Io. Absorption lines of hydrogen peroxide at Ganymede's poles indicate radiolysis of water ice by charged particles funneled by the moon's magnetic field. Io had two major eruptions, one associated with a forbidden emission line of sulfur monoxide. The latter supports a theory that SO is produced at volcanic vents in a thin atmosphere that allows forbidden emission before collisions destroy the excited state. Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:41:59 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230727144159.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230721113214.htm The material record that currently exists on the moon is rapidly becoming at risk of being destroyed if proper attention isn't paid during the new space era, scientists say. They propose a new scientific subfield: planetary geoarchaeology, the study of how cultural and natural processes on Earth's moon, on Mars and across the solar system may be altering, preserving or destroying the material record of space exploration. Fri, 21 Jul 2023 11:32:14 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230721113214.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230720124844.htm A team has modeled the early impact history of Venus to explain how Earth's sister planet has maintained a youthful surface despite lacking plate tectonics. The team compared the early collision histories of the two bodies and determined that Venus likely experienced higher-speed, higher-energy impacts creating a super-heated core that promoted extended volcanism and resurfaced the planet. Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:48:44 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230720124844.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230719112636.htm Astronomers have found the possible 'sibling' of a planet orbiting a distant star. The team has detected a cloud of debris that might be sharing this planet's orbit and which, they believe, could be the building blocks of a new planet or the remnants of one already formed. If confirmed, this discovery would be the strongest evidence yet that two exoplanets can share one orbit. Wed, 19 Jul 2023 11:26:36 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230719112636.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230717143208.htm A team has found that NASA's Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter frequently encounters giant swirling waves at the boundary between the solar wind and Jupiter's magnetosphere. The waves are an important process for transferring energy and mass from the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun, to planetary space environments. Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:32:08 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230717143208.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712124750.htm From our cosmic backyard in the solar system to distant galaxies near the dawn of time, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has delivered on its promise of revealing the universe like never before in its first year of science operations. To celebrate the completion of a successful first year, NASA has released Webb's image of a small star-forming region in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex. Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:47:50 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712124750.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712124609.htm Scientists gain vital insights into Mars' history and potential for supporting life. Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:46:09 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712124609.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230710180457.htm A new technique allows scientists to see how intensely rivers used to flow on Mars, and how they currently flow on Titan. The method uses satellite observations to estimate the rate at which rivers move fluid and sediment downstream. Mon, 10 Jul 2023 18:04:57 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230710180457.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230705142944.htm A new study shows that the so-called planetesimals that accreted together to form Earth must have been composed of dry, rocky materials. 2023年结婚,05年7月14:29:44美国东部时间 //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230705142944.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230701135758.htm Saturn's iconic rings seem to glow eerily in this incredible infrared picture, which also unveils unexpected features in Saturn's atmosphere. This image serves as context for an observing program that will test the telescope's capacity to detect faint moons around the planet and its bright rings. Any newly discovered moons could help scientists put together a more complete picture of the current system of Saturn, as well as its past. Sat, 01 Jul 2023 13:57:58 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230701135758.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230629193235.htm A study offers new insights into how water from melting ice could have played a recent role in the formation of ravine-like channels that cut down the sides of impact craters on Mars. Thu, 29 Jun 2023 19:32:35 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230629193235.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230622120910.htm Isotope ratios found in meteorites suggest that a supernova exploded nearby while the Sun and Solar System were still forming. But the blast wave from a supernova that close could have potentially destroyed the nascent Solar System. New calculations shows that a filament of molecular gas, which is the birth cocoon of the Solar System, aided the capture of the isotopes found in the meteorites, while acting as a buffer protecting the young Solar System from the nearby supernova blast. Thu, 22 Jun 2023 12:09:10 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230622120910.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230621105434.htm How close can a rocky planet be to a star, and still sustain water and life? A recently discovered exoplanet may be key to solving that mystery. Wed, 21 Jun 2023 10:54:34 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230621105434.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230617004432.htm Europa may have a metamorphic origin for the ocean. While some scientists speculated this, a research team shows that if Europa indeed formed from hydrated rocks (i.e., rocks have hydrogen and oxygen), then enough of Europa's interior should get hot enough to release water directly from the hydrated rocks to form the ocean and ice shell. Sat, 17 Jun 2023 00:44:32 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230617004432.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230615183212.htm Princeton researchers used observations from NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission to deduce that it was likely a violent, catastrophic event -- such as a high-speed collision with another body or a gaseous explosion -- that created the Geminids meteoroid stream. Mysteries surrounding the origin of the Geminids have long fascinated scientists because, while most meteor showers are created when a comet emits a tail of ice and dust, the Geminids stem from an asteroid -- a chunk of rock that normally does not produce a tail. Until now, this unusual meteoroid stream had only been studied from Earth. Thu, 15 Jun 2023 18:32:12 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230615183212.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230614220621.htm Over the past decades, researchers thought Earth was created over a period of more than 100 million years. However, a new study from suggests that the creation of Earth was much more rapid, and that water and other essential ingredients for life were delivered to Earth very early on. Wed, 14 Jun 2023 22:06:21 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230614220621.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230614220619.htm Through the Gemini-North Telescope in Hawai'i, the chemical composition of WASP-76 b is revealed in unprecedented detail, giving new insights also into the composition of giant planets. Wed, 14 Jun 2023 22:06:19 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230614220619.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230614220041.htm The search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system just got more exciting. A team of scientists has discovered new evidence that the subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus contains a key building block for life. The team directly detected phosphorus in the form of phosphates originating from the moon's ice-covered global ocean using data from NASA's Cassini mission. Cassini explored Saturn and its system of rings and moons for over 13 years. Wed, 14 Jun 2023 22:00:41 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230614220041.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230613190805.htm The discovery of tiny salt grains in a sample from an asteroid provides strong evidence that liquid water may be more common in the solar system than previously thought. Tue, 13 Jun 2023 19:08:05 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230613190805.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230612114702.htm New simulations offer new explanation for star's 85-year flare. In this scenario, a young giant planet is burning up very close to its star, suggesting solar systems may have hosted many of such planets that have since 'evaporated'. Mon, 12 Jun 2023 11:47:02 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230612114702.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230609125639.htm 研究人员正在工作ing on sustainable technology to harvest solar power in space -- which could supplement life support systems on the Moon and Mars. Fri, 09 Jun 2023 12:56:39 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230609125639.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230608195742.htm Astronomers challenge longstanding beliefs about the isolation of 'hot Jupiters' and proposes a new mechanism for understanding the exoplanets' evolution. Thu, 08 Jun 2023 19:57:42 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230608195742.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230530125456.htm Scientists have observed a towering plume of water vapor more than 6,000 miles long -- roughly the distance from the U.S. to Japan -- spewing from the surface of Saturn's moon, Enceladus. Tue, 30 May 2023 12:54:56 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230530125456.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230529171755.htm A third of the exoplanets orbiting common M dwarf stars have gentle enough orbits to potentially be in the habitable zone capable of hosting liquid water. Mon, 29 May 2023 17:17:55 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230529171755.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230525141455.htm A study presents the detection of a system of two planets slightly larger than Earth orbiting a cold star in a synchronized dance. Named TOI-2096, the system is located 150 light-years from Earth. This system, located 150 light-years from Earth, is one of the best candidates for a detailed study of their atmosphere with the JWST space telescope. Thu, 25 May 2023 14:14:55 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230525141455.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230517122059.htm Astronomers have discovered an Earth-size exoplanet, or world beyond our solar system, that may be carpeted with volcanoes. Called LP 791-18 d, the planet could undergo volcanic outbursts as often as Jupiter's moon Io, the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Wed, 17 May 2023 12:20:59 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230517122059.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230515131947.htm Astronomers have described the first radiation belt observed outside our solar system, using a coordinated array of 39 radio dishes from Hawaii to Germany to obtain high-resolution images. The images of persistent, intense radio emissions from an ultracool dwarf reveal the presence of a cloud of high-energy electrons trapped in the object's powerful magnetic field, forming a double-lobed structure analogous to radio images of Jupiter's radiation belts. Mon, 15 May 2023 13:19:47 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230515131947.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230512144752.htm Physicists measured the flux of interplanetary dust around Saturn. The researchers concluded that the planet's rings formed less than 400 million years ago, making them much younger than Saturn itself. Fri, 12 May 2023 14:47:52 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230512144752.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230510120503.htm 研究人员观测到太阳系外行星atmosphe GJ 1214 bre by measuring the heat it emits while orbiting its host star. Astronomers directly detected the light emitted by a sub-Neptune exoplanet -- a category of planets that are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. Wed, 10 May 2023 12:05:03 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230510120503.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230508150926.htm Astronomers used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to image the warm dust around a nearby young star, Fomalhaut, in order to study the first asteroid belt ever seen outside of our solar system in infrared light. But to their surprise, the dusty structures are much more complex than the asteroid and Kuiper dust belts of our solar system. Overall, there are three nested belts extending out to 14 billion miles (23 billion kilometers) from the star; that's 150 times the distance of Earth from the Sun. The scale of the outermost belt is roughly twice the scale of our solar system's Kuiper Belt of small bodies and cold dust beyond Neptune. The inner belts -- which had never been seen before -- were revealed by Webb for the first time. Mon, 08 May 2023 15:09:26 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230508150926.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230504111846.htm The young star TW Hydrae is playing 'shadow puppets' with scientists observing it with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. In 2017, astronomers reported discovering a shadow sweeping across the face of a vast pancake-shaped gas-and-dust disk surrounding the red dwarf star. The shadow isn't from a planet, but from an inner disk slightly inclined relative to the much larger outer disk -- causing it to cast a shadow. One explanation is that an unseen planet's gravity is pulling dust and gas into the planet's inclined orbit. The young star TW Hydrae is playing 'shadow puppets' with scientists observing it with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Now, a second shadow -- playing a game of peek-a-boo -- has emerged in just a few years between observations stored in Hubble's MAST archive. This could be from yet another disk nestled inside the system. The two disks are likely evidence of a pair of planets under construction. Thu, 04 May 2023 11:18:46 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230504111846.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230426210516.htm New research suggests future Martian botanists may be able to grow gene-edited rice on Mars. Wed, 26 Apr 2023 21:05:16 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230426210516.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230424162852.htm New NASA InSight research reveals that Mars has a liquid core rich in sulfur and oxygen, leading to new clues about how terrestrial planets form, evolve and potentially sustain life. Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:28:52 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230424162852.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230424162849.htm A new study has uncovered intriguing insights into the liquid core at the centre of Mars, furthering understanding of the planet's formation and evolution. Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:28:49 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230424162849.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230413154452.htm Astronomers report the first exoplanet jointly discovered through direct imaging and precision astrometry, a new indirect method that identifies a planet by measuring the position of the star it orbits. Data from the Subaru Telescope in Hawai`i and space telescopes from the European Space Agency (ESA) were integral to the team's discovery. Thu, 13 Apr 2023 15:44:52 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230413154452.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230412131102.htm Can humans endure long-term living in deep space? The answer is a lukewarm maybe, according to a new theory describing the complexity of maintaining gravity and oxygen, obtaining water, developing agriculture and handling waste far from Earth. Wed, 12 Apr 2023 13:11:02 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230412131102.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230406114006.htm Following in the footsteps of the Neptune image released in 2022, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has taken a stunning image of the solar system's other ice giant, the planet Uranus. The new image features dramatic rings as well as bright features in the planet's atmosphere. The Webb data demonstrates the observatory's unprecedented sensitivity for the faintest dusty rings, which have only ever been imaged by two other facilities: the Voyager 2 spacecraft as it flew past the planet in 1986, and the Keck Observatory with advanced adaptive optics. Thu, 06 Apr 2023 11:40:06 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230406114006.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230404133318.htm Earth's magnetic field does more than keep everyone's compass needles pointed in the same direction. It also helps preserve Earth's sliver of life-sustaining atmosphere by deflecting high energy particles and plasma regularly blasted out of the sun. Researchers have now identified a prospective Earth-sized planet in another solar system as a prime candidate for also having a magnetic field -- YZ Ceti b, a rocky planet orbiting a star about 12 light-years away from Earth. Tue, 04 Apr 2023 13:33:18 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230404133318.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230328145329.htm Asteroids sharing their orbits with the planet Neptune have been observed to exist in a broad spectrum of red color, implying the existence of two populations of asteroids in the region, according to a new study by an international team of researchers. Tue, 28 Mar 2023 14:53:29 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230328145329.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230327163230.htm Astronomers have found the atmospheric compositions of giant planets out in the galaxy do not fit our own solar system trend. Mon, 27 Mar 2023 16:32:30 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230327163230.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230322082654.htm With the first paper compiling all known information about planets like Venus beyond our solar system, scientists are the closest they've ever been to finding an analog of Earth's 'twin.' Wed, 22 Mar 2023 08:26:54 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230322082654.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230315143900.htm Venus appears to have volcanic activity, according to a new research paper that offers strong evidence to answer the lingering question about whether Earth's sister planet currently has eruptions and lava flows. Wed, 15 Mar 2023 14:39:00 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230315143900.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230315132425.htm A new study brings scientists one step closer to answering the question of where Earth's water came from. Wed, 15 Mar 2023 13:24:25 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230315132425.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230307073158.htm A terrestrial planet hovering between Mars and Jupiter would be able to push Earth out of the solar system and wipe out life on this planet, according to a recent experiment. Tue, 07 Mar 2023 07:31:58 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230307073158.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230303105311.htm When asteroids suffer natural impacts in space, debris flies off from the point of impact. The tail of particles that form can help determine the physical characteristics of the asteroid. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission in September 2022 gave a team of scientists a unique opportunity -- to observe the evolution of an asteroid's ejecta as it happened. Fri, 03 Mar 2023 10:53:11 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230303105311.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230301185225.htm Future space missions likely will send robots to scout out underground habitats for astronauts. Engineers have now developed a system that would enable autonomous vehicles to explore caves, lava tubes and even oceans on other worlds on their own. Wed, 01 Mar 2023 18:52:25 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230301185225.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230301120854.htm Astronomers offer new insight into how deflection missions can protect the planet from future Earth-bound asteroids and comets. Wed, 01 Mar 2023 12:08:54 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230301120854.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230223181805.htm Enceladus, the sixth largest of Saturn's moons, is known for spraying out tiny icy silica particles -- so many of them that the particles are a key component of the second outermost ring around Saturn. Scientists have not known how that happens or how long the process takes. A study now shows that tidal heating in Enceladus' core creates currents that transport the silica, which is likely released by deep-sea hydrothermal vents, over the course of just a few months. Thu, 23 Feb 2023 18:18:05 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230223181805.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230221132136.htm Current state-of-the-art instrumentation being sent to Mars to collect and analyze evidence of life might not be sensitive enough to make accurate assessments, according to new research. Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:21:36 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230221132136.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230220162942.htm An international team has found two new crystal structures for salty ice, or solid hydrate made from water and sodium chloride. The newly discovered material's properties match those of the substance seen on the surface of icy moons, like Europa and Ganymede, and may offer clues to their icy oceans. Mon, 20 Feb 2023 16:29:42 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230220162942.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230216161232.htm Mars is infamous for its intense dust storms, some of which kick up enough dust to be seen by telescopes on Earth. When dust particles rub against each other, as they do in Martian dust storms, they can become electrified. New research shows that one particularly efficient way to move chlorine from the ground to the air on Mars is by way of reactions set off by electrical discharge generated in dust activities. Thu, 16 Feb 2023 16:12:32 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230216161232.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230214154018.htm Astronomers have long been aware that planetary systems are not necessarily structured like our solar system. Researchers have now shown that there are in fact four types of planetary systems. Tue, 14 Feb 2023 15:40:18 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230214154018.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230209094205.htm Since their discovery by NASA's Voyager mission in the 1980s, temporary 'spoke' features across Saturn's rings have fascinated scientists, yet eluded explanation. They have been observed in the years preceding and following the planet's equinox, becoming more prominent as the date approaches. Saturn's upcoming autumnal equinox of the northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, means that spoke season has come again. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope will be on the job studying the spokes, thanks to time dedicated to Saturn in the mission's ongoing Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program. Are the smudgy features related to Saturn's magnetic field and its interaction with the solar wind, as prevailing theory suggests? Confirmation could come in this spoke season, as scientists combine archival data from NASA's Cassini mission with new Hubble observations. Thu, 09 Feb 2023 09:42:05 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230209094205.htm