Posts tagged "astronomy"

New Dwarf Planet Points The Way to Planet Nine

Astronomers made the discovery while hunting for a hypothetical massive planet, known as Planet Nine, that is suspected to be in orbit far beyond Pluto in a mysterious region known as the Oort Cloud. Planet Nine has not yet been seen directly, but The Goblin appears to be under the gravitational influence of a giant unseen object, adding to astronomers’ certainty that it is out there.
For more, Scientific American:

 

A Galaxy Full of Exomoons

Our Galaxy Might Be Teeming With Habitable Exomoons
There are eight planets in our Solar System (sorry Pluto), but collectively, these planets host over 175 moons, one or two of which may even harbor life. Indeed, our galaxy, based on what we observe here, could be bursting with exomoons, a significant number of which may be capable of fostering life, according to new a new study.
Header image courtesy https://exoplanets.nasa.gov