Two decades ago, the International Astronomical Union—which defines and names celestial bodies—redefined the criteria for ...

Astronomers are closing in on one of the most tantalizing possibilities in planetary science, evidence that a previously unknown world may be lurking in the outer reaches of the solar system. The ...

There could be a ninth planet in our solar system that's lying in wait to be discovered - and no, it's not Pluto. Our solar system has eight planets but in recent years, astronomers have theorised ...

In the early hours of July 14, a NASA spacecraft will make a historic first encounter with Pluto, the beloved dwarf planet that currently sits about 2.9 billion miles from Earth. The New Horizons ...

Rogue planets sound like rare travelers among the stars, freed from the gravitational constraints of a host system, left to ...

Astronomers have seen the aftermath of two planetary pile-ups in the same turbulent star system — providing potential insights into how planets form 1. Observations from the early 2000s indicated that ...

SPHERE’s detailed images of dusty rings around young stars offer a rare glimpse into the hidden machinery of planet formation. These bright arcs and faint clouds reveal where tiny planet-building ...