Dark ovals in Jupiter's polar haze, visible only at UV wavelengths, were first noticed 25 years ago, then ignored. A UC Berkeley study shows that these dark UV ovals are common, appearing at the south pole in 75% of Hubble Space Telescope images taken since 2015. They appear less often at the north pole. The scientists theorize that a magnetic vortex generated in the ionosphere stirs up and concentrates the hydrocarbon haze that blankets the poles.

Researchers from the Curtin node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) have made a record-breaking astrophysical discovery while simultaneously uncovering a possible explanation for the rare and extreme astrophysical event known as long-period radio transients.

Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have discovered that gamma rays can convert aqueous-phase methane into complex organic molecules, including glycine, at room temperature. This process mimics the potential formation of organic molecules in space and could have implications for understanding the origins of life. The study also suggests that gamma rays could be a sustainable energy source for converting methane into valuable products.

A new computer model developed by the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics can be used to detect and measure interior oceans on the ice covered moons of Uranus. The model works by analyzing orbital wobbles that would be visible from a passing spacecraft. The research gives engineers and scientists a sliderule to help them design NASA's upcoming Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission.

Scientists have constructed the first complete proton energy spectrum observed during an eruptive solar event in Martian space, deepening our understanding of the radiation environment around Mars.