Mercury is Shrinking, But Faster Than Previously Thought
Reported by Universe Today
The rough, impact-debris-covered surface of Mercury has hidden the true rate at which Mercury has been shrinking, which scientists previously underestimated by 30%...
- By: Matthew Williams (https://www.universetoday.com/authors/houseofwilliams)
- On: Wed, 16 Sep 2026 23:17 +0000
When Stars Engulf Rocky Planets, Beryllium Gives It Away
Reported by Universe Today
Astronomers know that stars can engulf planets when they stray too close. But how can they know, by looking at a star, if it has ever done so? The answer lies in Beryllium, an element not synthesized inside stars....
- By: Evan Gough (https://www.universetoday.com/authors/ion23drive)
- On: Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:15 +0000
Passion Meets Precision at NASA’s Flight Research Lab
Reported by NASA
Long before they helped shape NASA’s future aerospace breakthroughs, Derek Abramson, Justin Hall, and Justin Link were in their garages and homes building radio‑controlled aircraft, testing new ideas, and flying their creations at hobby events. That ea...
- By: NASA
- On: Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:06 +0000
Webb Searches for Brown Dwarfs in a Stunning Star-Forming Region
Reported by Universe Today
How small can brown dwarfs be before the definition breaks down? That question is at the heart of new research, and new JWST images. Using the space telescope, researchers have discovered a new class of brown dwarfs with low masses, marked by a peculiar hy...
- By: Evan Gough (https://www.universetoday.com/authors/ion23drive)
- On: Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:21 +0000
NASA’s Moon Orbiter Spots New, ‘Once-in-Century’ Moon Crater
Reported by NASA
It started as a routine data-quality check. But as Robert Wagner, a scientist with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), scanned a giant Moon map on his computer screen, an unusually large bright spot circled by a dark halo caught his eye, as it imp...
- By: NASA
- On: Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:06 +0000
For Trans-Neptunian Objects, The Past Is Written On Their Surface
Reported by Universe Today
Some Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) formed closer to the Sun and migrated to the outer solar system, while others formed there originally. A new study finds that "hot" and "cold" origin TNOs can be distinguished not only by their orbits, but also by their ...
- By: Brian Koberlein (https://www.universetoday.com/authors/brian)
- On: Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:25 +0000