All articles tagged with #early solar system
Astronomers have observed the earliest stages of planet formation around the young star HOPS-315 using JWST and ALMA, capturing the formation of solid minerals close to the star, which marks the beginning of rocky planet development and provides new insights into the initial steps of planetary system creation.
A study from the University of Bern shows that Earth's initial chemical composition was complete within three million years of formation, suggesting that essential life ingredients like water and organic compounds were likely delivered by a late impact with a water-rich body, supporting the Giant Impact Hypothesis and providing insights into the origins of life and planetary habitability.
A new study suggests that the collision of a Mars-sized proto-planet, Theia, with early Earth not only led to the formation of the Moon but also delivered essential volatile compounds like hydrogen and carbon, which are key ingredients for life, potentially explaining how life originated and persisted on Earth.
A new study suggests that the collision of a Mars-sized body called Theia with early Earth not only formed the Moon but also delivered essential volatile compounds, including ingredients for life, to our planet, highlighting the importance of such cosmic events in Earth's habitability.
Scientists analyzing samples from asteroid Ryugu found minerals older than Earth, providing insights into the early solar system and planetary formation, and potentially revealing how organic materials and water were delivered to Earth. Using advanced X-ray imaging, researchers identified diverse minerals formed billions of years ago, offering a rare glimpse into the conditions of the early solar system. These findings highlight the scientific value of asteroid sample-return missions in understanding our planetary origins.
New research indicates that Earth, Mars, Venus, and a long-lost planet may have once orbited the sun in a resonant, harmonious pattern, suggesting they formed earlier than previously believed and highlighting the dynamic history of planetary arrangements in our solar system.
Astronomers have captured the first direct evidence of rocky planet formation around a young star, HOPS-315, using NASA's Webb Space Telescope and ESO's ALMA, revealing hot minerals condensing in the star's gas disk, providing insights into the early stages of planetary system development.
Research on the meteorite NWA 12264 suggests that rocky planets both inside and outside the asteroid belt may have formed simultaneously around 4.564 billion years ago, challenging the previous belief that outer planets formed later than inner ones.
A study led by planetary scientist Alan Stern has discovered significant amounts of complex organic molecules, including sugars, on Arrokoth, a distant object in the Kuiper Belt. This finding, made possible by the New Horizons mission's 2019 flyby, provides new insights into the chemical processes of the early solar system and potentially the origins of life on Earth.
The oldest meteorite ever found, Erg Chech 002, dating back 4.6 billion years, challenges the accuracy of age calculations for meteorites. Australian researchers discovered that it contained more Aluminium-26 than other ancient stony meteorites of a similar age, suggesting that the isotope was not evenly distributed in the early solar system. This finding contradicts previous research and raises questions about the role of Aluminium-26 in planetary formation. The study emphasizes the need for a generalized approach to dating meteorites and planetary materials to improve accuracy and reliability.
Scientists from Allahabad University and the University of Bern have discovered that the Dhala structure in India was formed by a rare ureilite meteorite between 2500 and 1700 million years ago, making it the world's seventh oldest impact structure. This finding could revolutionize our understanding of impact events on Earth and the early history of the solar system. Further investigations into the Dhala impact structure are underway to uncover more details about the nature of this rare meteorite and its implications for our understanding of the early solar system and the development of life on Earth.
NASA's Lucy spacecraft has captured a first glimpse of the mysterious Trojan asteroids, which are made up of two swarms trapped in front of and behind Jupiter. The spacecraft will study the Trojan asteroids to discover if they are relics of our early solar system and help us learn more about how the planets within our solar system formed. Lucy won't reach the Trojan asteroids until 2027 and 2028, but it will capture information about the swarms as it completes multiple flybys.
Astronomers have found that the asteroids orbiting near Neptune are far redder than most asteroids in the solar system, indicating that they are rich in volatile compounds such as ammonia and methanol. Researchers tracked 18 Neptunian Trojans and analyzed their color, finding that most were significantly redder than most asteroids, including four that were extremely red. Studying these asteroids could reveal how asteroids in the early solar system formed and how their composition has changed over the past 4.6 billion years.