Posts by

Paul Scott Anderson

Icy Eris and Makemake have warm hearts

NASA's Webb space telescope shows that icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake have been warm and geologically active on the inside recently, and may still be.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 21, 2024

Are Chariklo’s rings shaped by a tiny unseen moon?

A new study suggests a tiny as-yet unseen moon shapes Centaur Chariklo's rings. The process is similar to the shepherd moons in Saturn's rings.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 18, 2024

Stronger hurricanes require new Category 6, researchers say

Hurricanes are becoming stronger due to climate change. And 2 researchers in the U.S. say we need a new Category 6 to classify mega-hurricanes.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 12, 2024

Isolated dwarf galaxy puzzles astronomers

Astronomers using the Webb telescope discovered an isolated dwarf galaxy 98 million light-years away. Contrary to expectations, it is not forming new stars.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 8, 2024

Wow! See 19 spiral galaxies in stunning new Webb images

NASA's Webb Space Telescope has taken stunning new images of 19 spiral galaxies. Besides being breathtaking to look at, they are rich in science data.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 4, 2024

New stamps feature Webb images of the cosmos!

Two new stamps feature Webb images of our amazing universe. The U.S. Postal Service issued them on January 22, 2024, to celebrate Webb's incredible mission.

Paul Scott Anderson

January 31, 2024

Astronomers find smallest exoplanet yet with water vapor

Astronomers have found the smallest exoplanet yet with water vapor. GJ 9827 d is a hot steamy world. But is it rocky like Earth or a mini-Neptune?

Paul Scott Anderson

January 30, 2024

Oldest-known black hole is eating its galaxy

Astronomers have discovered the oldest-known black hole. It dates back more than 13 billion years, to when the universe was only 400 million years old.

Paul Scott Anderson

January 28, 2024

Exoplanet with a tail: a hot Jupiter looks like a giant comet

Researchers at UCLA have found an exoplanet with a tail. The hot Jupiter WASP-69b has a huge comet-like tail of gas 350,000 miles (560,000 km) long.

Paul Scott Anderson

January 24, 2024

Shapes of early galaxies: surfboards and pool noodles

NASA's Webb space telescope has revealed that many early galaxies in the universe resembled surfboards and pool noodles in shape.

Paul Scott Anderson

January 23, 2024

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Paul Scott Anderson

Paul Scott Anderson has had a passion for space exploration that began when he was a child when he watched Carl Sagan’s Cosmos. While in school he was known for his passion for space exploration and astronomy. He started his blog The Meridiani Journal in 2005, which was a chronicle of planetary exploration. In 2015, the blog was renamed as Planetaria. While interested in all aspects of space exploration, his primary passion is planetary science. In 2011, he started writing about space on a freelance basis, and now currently writes for AmericaSpace and Futurism (part of Vocal). He has also written for Universe Today and SpaceFlight Insider, and has also been published in The Mars Quarterly and has done supplementary writing for the well-known iOS app Exoplanet for iPhone and iPad.