Planet Frequencies in the Galactic Bulge
Microlensing could hold the key to studying planet formation in incredibly crowded regions of the galaxy, and today’s paper shows us how.
First detection of an equatorial jet on Venus
Slowly-rotating Venus has some seriously speedy clouds. Using near-infrared images from Japan’s first Venus orbiter, Horinouchi and collaborators study the atmospheric dynamics of our strange sister planet.
Somewhere in the Stratosphere
If you thought the weather on Earth was wild, think again: today we’re discussing the climate of WASP-121b.
What are Mars’ moons made of?
The tiny Martian moons Phobos and Deimos were initially thought to be captured asteroids. Now, it looks like they might be remnants of a collision 4.3 billion years ago. Can simulations help us figure out what they’re made of?
Could we detect Europa-quakes?
How much tidal stress does Jupiter put on Europa? Enough to break the ice. Panning et al. estimate the magnitude of the ambient seismic noise on Europa due to tidal cracking events and turbulence in its subsurface ocean.
Blown away by Black Holes: Losing Planetary Atmospheres to Quasar Radiation
When it comes to habitability for Earth-like life, we’ve got more than just liquid water to worry about. Today’s astrobite looks at how planets could lose portions of their atmospheres to quasar radiation.