The International Astronomical Union (IAU) currently recognizes five dwarf planets in our solar system, though there are likely many more. The most famous of the bunch is Pluto, way out beyond the ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An illustration of confirmed dwarf planets and their moons. From left to right: Pluto (with ...

Once thought to be the debris of a destroyed planet, the asteroid belt is now understood as a region shaped by gravity, collisions and the powerful influence of Jupiter. Studying it helps scientists ...

WASHINGTON >> Scientists have identified an object about 435 miles wide inhabiting the frigid outer reaches of our solar system that might qualify as a dwarf planet, spotting it as it travels on a ...

Dwarf planet Ceres now appears less like a dead rock and more like a world that may have briefly brimmed with potential for life When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...

Since the first sighting of the first-discovered and largest asteroid in our solar system was made in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi, astronomers and planetary scientists have pondered the make-up of this ...

What would happen if you obtained space-bending abilities and decided to test them out by placing Earth between the two asteroid belts in our Solar System? The short answer is you might be asking for ...

Stowaways in a small car-sized asteroid that crashed in northern Sudan in 2008 have revealed what happened to a mysterious dwarf planet that is dusting Earth with a rare type of meteorites. That dwarf ...

Astronomers have long been intrigued by the makeup of the asteroid belt’s largest body. When it was first spotted in 1801, Ceres appeared dry and rocky, its surface marked by craters and dents. For ...

The discovery of the Kuiper Belt fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the solar system's architecture and population, revealing a far larger and more complex system than previously imagined.

Not long ago, the idea of mining in space sounded like something out of a sci-fi novel. But today, it’s a field that scientists and engineers are seriously exploring. Why? Because tucked away in our ...