Moonlets: The Moon’s Assembly Line
Astronomers have long believed the Moon formed from a giant impact. Are multiple medium-sized impacts a better explanation?
Like a Captured Stone: How did Pluto Settle in its Peculiar Orbit?
We dive back into one of the earliest studies of the outer solar system that helped us understand how four gas giants playing a chaotic game of catch could have knocked Pluto into its topsy-turvy orbit.
Icy quake-y comet!
Didn’t know comets had landslides too? Well, now you do!
Meet the Keynote Speakers: Konstantin Batygin
Planetary scientist Konstantin Batygin discusses the elusive Planet Nine and how he fell into astrophysics whilst waiting for his rock band to become the next Metallica.
Hold on to Your Moons! Ice, Atmospheres and the Grand Tack
Among the many ideas proposed to explain the formation of our Solar system, one of the leading theories is the “Grand Tack”. This scenario suggests that, early in their formation, Jupiter and Saturn undertook a sweeping voyage, migrating from the outer Solar System to within the orbit of Mars. The two huge planets then entered an orbital resonance with each other, before their cosmic dance took them back out to their current positions. The model neatly explains, amongst other things, the current locations of Mars, the Asteroid Belt and the outer planets—which are hard to recreate in models assuming a more static Solar System.
Mercury’s surprising density: What about magnets?
A new model explains Mercury’s major density with magnetism.