19 January 2016
Giant double-planet system around an evolved star detected by astronomers
... in the protoplanetary disc become trapped. In our Solar System for example, it is known that Neptune and Pluto have a 3:2 resonance, meaning that Neptune will orbit the Sun three times in the same time that it takes Pluto...
09 February 2016
Are Earth-like worlds built like Earth?
...but theoretical models of planet formation predict that planets intermediate in size between Earth and Neptune could be gaseous ‘mini- Neptunes,’ rocky ‘Super-Earths,’ or indeed water worlds, thus adding to the uncertainty in planet structures. After...
27 April 2016
Dwarf planet MakeMake found to have a moon
...MakeMake – the third largest known object past the orbit of Neptune – has a moon. MakeMake is one of the brightest ... Belt - an elliptical plane in space that extends from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the sun. The belt ...
03 February 2017
Astronomers spot a possible dwarf planet on the edges of the Solar System
... is classed as a detached TNO meaning that is has a dynamically stable orbit that does not get interfered with by Neptune. In the case of DeeDee its orbit is calculated to be stable for billions of years therefore gravitational interactions with...
20 March 2017
Scientists challenge how planets are defined
...as Pluto is constrained in its orbit by the gravity of Neptune and it shares its orbital neighbourhood with Kuiper belt objects. ... the IAU definition also excludes Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune too, as they share their orbits with asteroids. This...
09 February 2018
New research on rocky worlds helps identify Earth-like planets
... times that of Earth have gassy envelopes, like Neptune, while those with radii smaller than this are ...as their radii span this dividing line between super-Earth (rocky) and sub-Neptune (somewhat gassy) planets; planet b has a radii of 1.64, planet c ...
