It is difficult to tell if planets embedded in their natal protoplanetary disks are migrating closer to their stars. The authors of today’s paper devise a new observational signature to figure that out.
Do you feel lost reading papers? Try reading a review article or a classic paper first!
Recently, it has been proposed that pebbles play a crucial in the formation of rocky cores that are large enough to accrue a large atmosphere and become gas giants like Jupiter. Do strong magnetic winds make things more difficult?
Astronomers have long believed the Moon formed from a giant impact. Are multiple medium-sized impacts a better explanation?
Thinking of taking a vacation to Jupiter this summer? With Jupiter’s quick rotation period, you’ll only have 10 hours per day to see all of the sights. But if not for Jupiter’s magnetic field, you might have only had 3 hours each day.