New study reveals Pluto and Charon’s origin: a unique "kiss and capture" collision redefines how binary systems form.

New results suggest the process was less catastrophic ... belt objects have largely remained the same since the formation of the Solar System. They are, in effect, perfectly preserved fossils ...

Planetesimal belts, remnants of the planet formation process, hold a wealth of clues about planetary systems beyond our own. These belts, analogous to the Kuiper and asteroid belts in our Solar System ...

Whereas our solar system's oldest moons, such as the inner moons of Jupiter and Saturn ... Scientists used to think that's also how the Pluto and Charon formation process occurred. It wasn't until ...

Research led by the University of Geneva challenges current theories about the formation of 'hot Jupiter' planetary systems.

Carbon-rich cosmic dust comes from different sources and spreads out into space, where it's necessary for life and for the ...

Researchers are excited because the object gives us a unique window into the formation of the Solar System, some 4.5 billion ... APL-SWRI The last stage of the process was the merger between ...