• Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS may be a fragment of a 12-billion-year-old planetary system

    ByReet Kaur

    The third confirmed interstellar object detected in the Solar System possesses an isotopic composition unlike any known Solar System comet, according to a study published in Nature on June 22, 2026. Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope revealed extreme enrichments in heavy hydrogen and unusual carbon isotope ratios, leading researchers to conclude that 3I/ATLAS likely formed in a cold, metal-poor environment during an early phase of Milky Way evolution, potentially 10 to 12 billion years ago.

  • 40-year solar record reveals solar-cycle changes beneath the Sun’s surface

    ByRishav Kothari

    A 40-year record of solar observations has revealed that structural changes linked to the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle are becoming increasingly concentrated near the solar surface. The finding is based on helioseismic measurements spanning Solar Cycles 22 through 25 and offers a new view of how solar magnetic activity evolves beneath the visible surface.

  • Rare meteorite points to Moon-sized parent body in early Solar System

    ByReet Kaur

    Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder report what they describe as the first direct evidence that angrite meteorites originated within a large planetary embryo rather than a small asteroid. The findings, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters on April 10, 2026, are based on pressure estimates derived from mineral crystals preserved in the rare meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 12774.

  • NOAA’s SOLAR-1 enters operational service as first dedicated U.S. space weather satellite

    ByRishav Kothari

    NOAA’s Space Weather Observations at L1 to Advance Readiness-1 (SOLAR-1) observatory has entered operational service, becoming the first U.S. satellite dedicated exclusively to continuous operational space weather observations. The spacecraft is stationed at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1), where it monitors solar wind conditions and coronal mass ejections moving away from the Sun and toward Earth.

  • Thin atmosphere detected around small plutino beyond Neptune

    ByTeo Blašković

    Astronomers have reported evidence of a thin atmosphere around the small plutino (612533) 2002 XV93 after observing the object pass in front of a distant star on January 10, 2024. The finding, published in Nature Astronomy this month, identifies evidence of a gaseous envelope around a trans-Neptunian object far smaller than Pluto.

  • Solar radio bursts reveal possible magnetic switchbacks near the Sun, Parker Solar Probe data suggest

    ByTeo Blašković

    Type III solar radio bursts observed by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe may reveal large-scale magnetic-field disturbances and switchback-like structures near the Sun, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal in 2026. The study may help scientists remotely map hidden magnetic structures near the Sun, improving how the solar wind is studied and eventually strengthening space weather physics.

  • New lunar mineral identified in first lunar meteorite found in China

    ByTeo Blašković

    China Geological Survey (CGS) reported that Chinese scientists identified a new lunar mineral, Magnesiochangesite-(Ce), in Pakepake 005, the first lunar meteorite found in China, and formally approved through meteorite nomenclature. The rare-earth-bearing phosphate was approved by the International Mineralogical Association’s Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification. It represents the 11th lunar mineral discovered worldwide.

  • ESA and JAXA sign planetary defence agreement for Ramses mission to Apophis

    ByTeo Blašković

    The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on planetary defence and a dedicated Ramses mission agreement in Berlin, Germany, on May 7, 2026. Ramses is planned to rendezvous with asteroid (99942) Apophis before its safe close flyby of Earth on April 13, 2029.

  • Biggest solar storms can occur years after solar maximum

    ByTeo Blašković

    Solar Cycle 25 remains in an active phase after reaching its peak sunspot number in late 2024, but major solar storms remain possible as the cycle declines, NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) research scientist Mark Miesch said in a video update posted on May 1, 2026. Solar activity is forecast to gradually decrease in the coming years, but the declining phase can still produce strong flares, CMEs, and geomagnetic storms.