We finally know how the most common types of planets are created
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-Jan-2026 11:11 ET (7-Jan-2026 16:11 GMT/UTC)
Planets larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune are the most common kind in the galaxy, but because our solar system lacks such a planet, scientists don’t know much about how they form. Astronomers have now witnessed four baby planets in the V1298 Tau system in the process of becoming super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. Despite being 5 to 10 times Earth’s radius, the planets had masses only 5 to 15 times Earth’s. This means they are very low-density, comparable to Styrofoam, whereas the Earth has the density of rock.
Scientists at the University of Missouri have identified a small group of unusual objects in the early universe. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Haojing Yan and his team at Mizzou’s College of Arts and Science spotted these strange objects, which seem like one galactic thing but have the unmistakable fingerprints of something else entirely.
Advanced quantum detectors designed at Texas A&M University are reinventing the search for dark matter, an unseen force that science has yet to explain.
A new study led by WashU planetary scientists suggests the icy moon lacks the undersea activity needed to support life.
Our galaxy’s supermassive black hole is famous for being one of the dimmest in the universe. Evidence from a new space telescope shows that might not always have been the case. Sagittarius A*, located at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, appears to have flared dramatically sometime within the past few hundred to 1,000 years, according to X-ray emissions observed by the XRISM space telescope. These surprising findings unveil new details of how supermassive black holes evolve. They also teach astronomers lessons about the history of our cosmic home.
Acute sepsis profoundly changes how intravenous fluids behave within the body. Using a sheep model, researchers investigated fluid distribution during health and sepsis following crystalloid infusion. They found that sepsis reduced urine output, impaired vascular responsiveness, and diverted most infused fluid into a nonfunctional interstitial third space. These alterations explain why standard fluid therapy becomes less effective during sepsis and underscore challenges in managing circulation and organ perfusion clinically safely.