[UNLV] Water isn’t always as it seems. Under extreme conditions, such as those found on other planets, it has been discovered to change its atomic structure, giving it the means […]
Ice Giant
Posted inIce Giant
SwRI Staff Contribute To New Ideas About Origins Of Uranus And Neptune
[SwRI] Uranus and Neptune are often considered planetary twins due to their many similar characteristics, including size, mass and atmospheric conditions, and have long been thought to have pulled from […]
![D.2: Transit signals recovery analysis in the TESS light curve of TOI-210. TOI-210 b is shown in gold at its period of 9.01 days. Candidate planets at 2.15 and 3.76 days tentatively detected in the NIRPS RVs are indicated as lower limits, with arrows extending from minimum (iron density) to realistic (Earth density) radii based on their minimum masses. The expected transit depths fall within the TESS sensitivity, suggesting that if these RV signals are planets, they are unlikely to be transiting. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/A-temperate.png?resize=1200%2C713&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
A Temperate Sub-Neptune Transiting The M4 Dwarf TOI-210 Identified By NIRPS And TESS — Uncovering Hidden M-dwarf Planetary Systems In The Near-infrared
[astro-ph.EP] Super-Earths and sub-Neptunes dominate the exoplanet population, yet their compositions, formation mechanisms, and capability of retaining atmospheres remain poorly understood. M-type stars offer a unique opportunity to investigate these […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Neptune, Status Report, Uranus, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ice Giants Revisited: Uranus And Neptune As Magma Ocean Worlds
Uranus and Neptune are commonly interpreted as volatile-rich “ice giants”, an assumption that underpins most interior models.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Ice Giant, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Uranus
Uranus Orbiter and Probe: Mission Challenges and Concept Updates Since the Origins, Worlds, and Life Decadal Survey
Origins, Worlds, and Life: Planetary Science and Astrobiology in the Next Decade identified a Uranus Orbiter and Probe as the highest-priority strategic mission for the decade 2023–2032, as it enables […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Escape Of Water- And Metal-enriched Atmospheres From Compact Hot mini-Neptunes With CHAIN
Recent observations reveal that atmospheric compositions of close-in sub-Neptunes are diverse and can differ strongly from pure H/He-dominated.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Ice Giant, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
NASA’s Roman Mission Preps to Unveil New Populations of Faraway Worlds
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is poised to make a major leap in the hunt for worlds outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. Scientists expect the mission to […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Impact of Clouds on the Atmosphere-Mantle Interface of Sub-Neptunes
Sub-Neptunes are among the most common type of close-in planets found in our galaxy, yet their bulk composition remains largely uncertain; H-rich envelopes overlaying rocky cores, volatile-rich planets, and carbon-rich […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Neptune, Status Report
Latitudinal Variations In Neptune’s Temperature Profile Observed With ALMA
Despite the low solar irradiation it receives, Neptune shows a very active atmosphere with some of the most intense dynamics observed in Solar System atmospheres. Characterizing the atmospheric temperature profiles […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Desert Worlds, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Ice Giant, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
ORCHARD: A General Planetary Evolution Code
We present ORCHARD, a publicly available planetary evolution code based on the gas giant evolution code, APPLE, capable of modeling the evolution and structures of terrestrial, super-Earth, sub-Neptune, Neptune, and […]