A planet that is about the size of Saturn, but with a temperature more like Earth’s, has an atmosphere rich in methane, according to a new study using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Neptune’s third-largest moon, Nereid, may be the only surviving intact moon from Neptune’s original satellite system, a new analysis of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data suggests. The findings challenge a longstanding theory proposing that Nereid – like other major Neptunian moons – was captured from outside the planet’s orbit from a region girdling the solar system called the Kuiper belt. It’s long been thought that Neptune’s biggest moons came from the Kuiper belt. This hypothesis arose, in part, because the moons possess irregular and eccentric orbits, which rarely occur in still-intact original satellite systems. However, Matthew Belyakov and colleagues now present evidence indicating that Nereid may actually be an original Neptunian satellite. Their analyses of near-infrared spectroscopic data from JWST revealed that Nereid’s composition is different from that of other Kuiper belt objects. Spurred by this unexpected discovery, Belyakov et al. explored how Nereid could have developed its highly eccentric orbit if it was not a captured moon. Simulations indicated that the orbit emerged in response to the arrival of Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, when it was captured from the Kuiper belt. Before now, incoming satellites such as Triton were thought to have annihilated all of the planet’s original satellites. “Our proposed regular satellite genesis story for the moon leaves Nereid as the singular intact original satellite of Neptune,” the authors write. “Neptune’s innermost moons, such as Proteus, are re-accreted pieces of satellites destroyed by Triton’s capture.”

A new study published in Big Earth Data systematically evaluates popular Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) methods and metrics for AI/ML-based geospatial applications, addressing challenges of predictive uncertainty, trustworthiness, and real-time integration in complex Earth system modelling. Using a PM2.5 calibration case study, it demonstrates that Deep Ensembles and Bayesian Neural Networks implemented in TensorFlow achieved the best reliability and calibration performance, while also highlighting framework-specific differences between TensorFlow and PyTorch in geospatial UQ applications.

A team of South Korean scientists has uncovered new evidence that could help explain how Earth’s atmosphere became rich in oxygen, one of the most transformative events in the planet’s history.

Researchers from the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) report the finding stromatolites, layered structures formed by microbial communities, within the Hapcheon impact crater, the only confirmed impact crater on the Korean Peninsula. The study was published in Communications Earth & Environment (DOI: 10.1038/s43247-026-03206-7), a Nature Portfolio journal.

As the world looked to the sky, a massive team coordinated to ensure a successful mission — including several Texas A&M University graduates turned NASA engineers. Three of these Aggies supported Artemis II with their skills and dedication, from tracking the Orion capsule during reentry to expertly designing spacesuits that protected the crew. 

In a new study, researchers observed red auroras over Japan that stretched to unexpectedly high altitudes, about 500 to 800 kilometers above Earth.