magnetic field
Planetary Habitability Depends on its Star’s Magnetic Field
The extrasolar planet census recently passed a major milestone, with 5500 confirmed candidates in 4,243 solar systems. With so many…
Solar Flares and Solar Magnetic Reconnection Get New Spotlight in Two Blazing Studies
Two recent studies published in The Astrophysical Journal discuss findings regarding solar flare properties and a new classification index and…
Measuring Exoplanetary Magnetospheres with the Square Kilometer Array
Life on Earth would not be possible without food, water, light, a breathable atmosphere and surprisingly, a magnetic field. Without…
Planetary Geophysics: What is it? What can it teach us about finding life beyond Earth?
Universe Today has examined the importance of studying impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, and planetary atmospheres,…
An Astronomical First! A Radiation Belt Seen Outside the Solar System
For the first time, a team of astronomers has imaged the radiation belt of an object from beyond the Solar…
It's Time for Mysterious Spokes to Appear in Saturn's Rings
The Hubble Space Telescope recently captured the appearance of several asymmetrical ‘spokes’ rising above the rings of Saturn, marking a…
You’re Looking at a Map of the Milky Way’s Magnetic Field
Using telescopes that study the sky in the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum, astronomers have successfully mapped the structure…
Marsquakes are Caused by Shifting Magma
Before the InSight Lander arrived on Mars, scientists could only estimate what the planet's internal structure might be. Its size,…
We Might Know Why Mars Lost its Magnetic Field
Mars is a parched planet ruled by global dust storms. It's also a frigid world, where night-time winter temperatures fall…
An Exoplanet Found Protected by a Magnetosphere
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers has spotted the magnetosphere of an exoplanet for the first…