Uncommon Moons
New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that moons like Earth's -- that formed out of tremendous collisions -- are uncommon in the universe, arising at most in only 5 to 10 percent of planetary systems.
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Spitzer Podcasts
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07.22.10 Unsettled Youth: A Chaotic Planetary SystemDuring the infancy of our solar system, when our planets had not yet settled down into their orbits, this was a dange... |
07.22.10 Unsettled Youth: A Chaotic Planetary SystemDuring the infancy of our solar system, when our planets had not yet settled down into their orbits, this was a dange... |
06.01.10 Swirling Clumps of Planetary MaterialSomething appears to be pushing around a large clump of material that is in orbit of this star, and it's moving fast ... |
02.05.10 Trigger Happy Star FormationFrom recent discoveries made by two of NASA's Great Observatories comes new insight into how stars are created. Large... |
09.04.09 Baby Stars Found Jumbled In Galactic CenterAt the center of our Milky Way galaxy is an area previously unseen by astronomers. Shrouded by clouds of swirling dus... |
04.07.09 Cool Stars Have Different Mix of Life-Forming ChemicalsIt's life, Jim, but not as we know it! Well, at least the building blocks of life. A new study from NASA's Spitzer S... |
01.28.09 Exoplanet with Wild Temperature SwingsTalk about hot flashes! A planet that heats up to extreme temperatures in a matter of hours before quickly cooling ba... |
12.12.08 Dim DwarfsThe new record-holder for dimmest known star-like object in the universe goes to twin brown dwarfs, each of which shi... |
11.13.08 Twin Asteroid BeltsThe star Epsilon Eridani is even stranger than fiction. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has shown it has two asteroid ... |
09.18.08 Water Hit with Young Star's Best ShotWater is being blasted to pieces by a young star's laser-like jets, according to new observations from NASA's Spitzer... |
08.25.08 Spitzer's Fifth AnniversaryNASA's Spitzer Space Telescope continues to surprise astronomers. On its fifth anniversary, we recap some of this Gre... |
07.15.08 Brightest Star in the Galaxy has New CompetitionA contender for the title of brightest star in our Milky Way galaxy has been unearthed in the dusty metropolis of the... |
06.13.08 Missing Spiral ArmsAs a result of a new Spitzer Space Telescope study, two of our own Milky Way Galaxy's spiral arms have gone away. |
05.23.08 Holes on MarsSpitzer isn't the only infrared mission. Infrared images from another of NASA's robotic missions help us understand m... |
03.24.08 Diamondoids in SpaceDiamonds may be rare on Earth, but surprisingly common in space -- and new research shows that the infrared eyes of N... |
02.25.08 Common EarthsTerrestrial planets might form around many, if not most, of the nearby sun-like stars in our galaxy. These new result... |
02.04.08 Cosmic SuburbiaYoung city dwellers on Earth aren't the only ones rushing to suburbia to start families. New observations from NASA's... |
12.19.07 Uncommon MoonsNew observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that moons like Earth's -- that formed out of tremendous... |
10.22.07 Galactic Thief Caught Stealing GasA big galaxy, spotted stealing gas from a passing galaxy about half its size, was caught red-handed by the Spitzer Sp... |
10.09.07 Dust in the Wind of Black HolesThe dust that makes everything around us -- and even ourselves -- may have come from black holes. |
10.03.07 Building an Earth?An infant Earth may be forming in a star system over 400 light-years away, according to new results from the Spitzer ... |
09.12.07 Neon Signs in SpaceA recent detection of neon gas in planet-forming disks may help us better understand how planets form and whether or ... |
08.16.07 Putting the Brakes on Star FormationSpitzer learns why one class of galaxy seems to have trouble forming new stars. |
08.10.07 Planets with Four Suns?New results from the Spitzer Space Telescope hint that other solar systems may be even more exotic than we've ever im... |
05.14.07 A Tale of Two Worlds -- One Hot, One WindyAstronomers have studied two very intriguing planets beyond our solar system -- one super hot, one super windy. This ... |
03.29.07 Double Sunsets in Distant SkiesOnce thought to be the stuff of science fiction, double sunsets may be much more common in the universe than previous... |
02.21.07 Hunting for Molecules on Faraway PlanetsA first from the Spitzer Space Telescope. A new finding is a stepping stone to eventually studying signs of life on w... |
02.21.07 Atmospheres on Alien WorldsUsing the Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have for the first time discovered what the atmosphere is like on plan... |
01.09.07 Pillars of DestructionHubble's "Pillars of Creation" within the Eagle Nebula is one of the most famous astronomical images of all time. But... |
12.18.06 Spitzer Sees the LightIn the beginning there was darkness...but now, Spitzer Scientists say they are seeing the universe's first light. |
12.05.06 Wounded Comet Spills Secrets About Distant Solar SystemsCould Comet Tempel 1 provide the key to understanding solar systems beyond our own? Dr. Carey Lisse talks with Linda ... |
09.27.06 A Galactic Soap OperaOur story begins in the deep, dark universe, where galaxies, like people, lead fascinating lives, filled with drama. ... |
09.08.06 Cosmic Disk Brakes for Spinning StarsCan planet-forming disks put the brakes on spinning stars? Dr. Luisa Rebull discusses Spitzer results that may solve ... |
08.14.06 Piercing the Sword of OrionAstronomers have long scrutinized the vast and layered clouds of the Orion nebula, an industrious star-making factory... |
06.23.06 Last of the Great ObservatoriesYears before Spitzer was launched into space, the entire mission was cancelled! Dr. George Rieke discusses the incred... |
06.05.06 Unmarked Grave of a Dead StarSpitzer has found a supernova remnant that no other telescope has seen. Dr. Patrick Morris discusses his team's disco... |
05.11.06 Searching for Solar Systems Like OursAre solar systems like our own common in the universe, or is ours an oddball? Dr. Lynne Hillenbrand discusses her wor... |
04.05.06 Spitzer Finds Hints of Planet Birth Around Dead StarNASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has uncovered new evidence that planets might rise up out of a dead star's ashes. (JP... |
04.05.06 Phoenix Rising from a Supernova's AshesA supernova may be the ultimate end of a star's life, but this may not be the story's end. Recent Spitzer results hin... |
03.16.06 Seeing Smoke from a Galactic FireMichelle Thaller speaks with Dr. George Helou about a striking new image of Galaxy M82, the discovery of mysterious o... |
