Uranus and Neptune are often called "ice giants." This is based on the theory that they were made from materials that easily freeze in space, like water and ammonia. However, this label does not come from direct observations, since no spacecraft has visited the two giants since Voyager 2 in the 1980s. Instead, it is drawn from computer models built using the planets’ sizes, masses, densities, and gravity fields. Now, a new study by scientists at the University of Zurich is challenging this idea. It suggests that the two planets may contain more rock than ice....
Read news articleThree taikonauts — the term for Chinese astronauts — aboard China’s Tiangong Space Station have had their trip home postponed after a piece of space debris struck their return capsule. Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie were set to return to Earth on November 5, 2025, after handing over duties to the Shenzhou-21 mission crew. But just hours before departure, engineers found signs of damage to the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, forcing officials to delay the trip....
Read news articleA rare comet from another star system is speeding through our solar system, giving astronomers a unique chance to study an interstellar visitor up close. Named 3I/ATLAS, it is only the third such object ever confirmed. It joins Oumuamua, which appeared in 2017, and Borisov, detected in 2019....
Read news articleIn mid-June, over 200 people across the southeastern United States spotted a brilliant fireball streaking across the sky. It was a meteorite that soon slammed into a home in McDonough, Georgia. The space rock ripped through the roof, landing just 14 feet from the startled homeowner. The impact left a small crater on the floor....
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