Among the dazzling array of celestial bodies dancing around Jupiter, Europa, the sixth-closest moon, holds a special allure. Its smooth, icy surface, scarred by reddish streaks and surprisingly devoid of craters, hints at a dynamic and potentially life-harboring world beneath. This article delves into the captivating world of Jupiter’s Moon Europa, exploring its physical characteristics, […]
Astronomers have identified an Earth-size exoplanet, or globe outside our solar system, that may be covered in volcanoes. The planet, known as LP 791-18 d, may have volcanic outbursts as frequently as Jupiter’s moon Io, our solar system’s most volcanically active body. NASA’s TESS, Spitzer Space Telescope, and an array of ground-based observatories were used […]
Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Io, is set for a historic close encounter with NASA’s Juno Spacecraft. The orbiter designed to study gas giants has traveled more than 510 million miles and has observed three of Jupiter’s four largest moons up close. When is NASA’s Juno spacecraft scheduled to pass by Io and Jupiter? On Tuesday, May […]
NASA’s Lucy mission marks a new era in space exploration, as it is the first spacecraft launched with the specific aim of exploring the Trojan asteroids. These asteroids are a population of primitive celestial bodies that share Jupiter’s orbit, making them unique targets for scientific study. However, the spacecraft is set to embark on a […]
The “Juice mission” (Jupiter Icy moons Explorer) is an exciting and ambitious project by the European Space Agency (ESA) to explore Jupiter and its three icy moons – Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto – in depth. With a launch date set for April 13, 2023, the mission aims to explore these moons and gain insights into […]
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has been capturing breathtaking images of the changing weather and seasons on Jupiter and Uranus since its launch in 1990. Although the close-up views provided by other spacecraft, such as Juno and Voyager very impressive, however, Hubble’s sharpness and sensitivity enable it to track complex activities in these largely gaseous outer […]
On March 11, 2013, the team operating the WISE infrared telescope made a surprising discovery. They found Luhman 16, a pair of brown dwarfs located 6.5 light years from our Sun. It is ranking as the third most distant star system known. Let’s quickly review this discovery, and unfold some of the valuable content. The […]
Unveiling February 2024’s Astronomical Events: A Skywatcher’s Guide As we welcome February 2024, the skies above us are set to display a mesmerizing array of astronomical events. This month is particularly special for those interested in the wonders of astronomy, as we witness everything from the intricate orbits of planets to the Moon’s captivating phases. […]
As we launch into 2024, the stellar accomplishments of the previous year still glimmer in our collective memory. Recall the daring of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx, which gracefully pirouetted with an asteroid, returning with celestial treasures? Or India’s Chandrayaan-3, which shed light on the enigmatic lunar south pole? These feats were just the beginning. The space missions […]
Introduction In an unprecedented breakthrough that is rewriting textbooks and reshaping our understanding of exoplanetary atmospheres, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered the presence of quartz crystals in the atmosphere of the distant exoplanet WASP-17b. Far from being an arbitrary discovery, the identification of these crystals changes our entire comprehension of cloud composition […]