HS-ESS1-4

Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.

  1. Planets

    A peek into a stellar nursery has revealed six baby giant worlds

    Images of six Jupiter-sized worlds taken by the James Webb Space Telescope offer clues to how planets and stars form.

    By
  2. Space

    Microscopic black holes may be flying through our solar system

    These flybys could jostle the orbits of planets and satellites as teeny black holes whiz by us once a decade or so.

    By
  3. Space

    The moon has new tales to share, some from its secretive far side

    Ongoing observations and new lunar rock samples, including the first from its far side, should point to how both the moon and our Earth evolved.

    By
  4. Planets

    Scientists Say: Theia

    Clues about this ancient protoplanet's catastrophic end may have been entombed in Earth's lower mantle for billions of years.

    By
  5. Space

    Why are scientists suddenly interested in UFOs?

    For decades, science mostly ignored UFOs. Then in 2015 Navy pilots started reporting them. The U.S. government enlisted scientists to investigate.

    By
  6. Space

    Spacecraft need an extra boost to travel between stars 

    Star Wars makes space travel look easy by breaking the laws of physics. Off-screen, the technology for spacecraft to reach other worlds doesn’t exist yet.

    By
  7. Physics

    Scientists Say: Magnetosphere

    This magnetic field encapsulates our planet, sheltering us from damaging energetic threats posed by the cosmos and our own sun.

    By
  8. Planets

    Here are 5 exoplanet mysteries the James Webb telescope could help solve

    This space telescope could reveal much about the formation, makeup and evolution of distant exoplanets.

    By
  9. Space

    A cosmic explosion this summer may add a ‘new star‘ to the night sky

    Some 3,000 light-years away, this white dwarf undergoes a nova eruption every 80 years or so — throwing off light that can be seen with the unaided eye.

    By
  10. Planets

    Active volcanoes may be common on Venus

    Researchers took a new look at decades-old images from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft. These now suggest volcanic activity is widespread on the planet.

    By
  11. Planets

    Pluto’s heart may hide the rocky wreckage of an ancient impact

    A huge, rocky remnant beneath Pluto’s surface could explain the odd location of Sputnik Planitia — its famous heart-shaped basin.

    By
  12. Space

    Analyze This: A recently spotted space object is puzzling scientists

    A pulsar’s invisible partner could be an oddly heavy neutron star or a very light black hole.

    By and