The US Department of War’s PURSUE initiative released a classified 1972 Apollo 17 photograph showing unexplained lights above the moon. Declassified on WAR.GOV, the anomaly remains unresolved, baffling military and NASA aerospace experts.


‘The Apollo 17 anomaly’: What the US military revealed about the 1972 lunar mission

Scientists have found that a lucky balance of chemicals is the reason why Earth supports life. While it does reside in the habitable zone, there is more that makes life thrive on a planet. According to a study, when Earth formed, it happened under an unusually precise set of chemical conditions that allowed for two crucial elements to be retained in perfect balance. Phosphorus and nitrogen are what make life possible on Earth. In their absence, it wouldn't matter where it sits in the solar system or the amount of water it has. The researchers say in the absence of these elements in perfect proportions, a rocky planet like Earth might seem like it can support life from the outside, but it wouldn't. "During the formation of a planet's core, there needs to be exactly the right amount of oxygen present so that phosphorus and nitrogen can remain on the surface of the planet," lead author Craig Walton, of ETH Zurich in Switzerland, said in a statement. Earth had it all when it took shape nearly 4.6 billion years ago. The findings were published February 9 in the journal Nature Astronomy.<h2>Planets, alien life and oxygen&nbsp;</h2>When planets are in their earliest stage of life, they are partially or fully molten. Later, the heavier metals sink and form the core, while the lighter elements move towards the surface. At this time, the amount of oxygen determines where other elements end up and if they would be available when life is born. Incredibly, the range for the perfect oxygen levels for both phosphorus and nitrogen to stay in a planet's mantle and crust is extremely narrow. If there is too little oxygen, phosphorus would combine with iron and move to the core. In its absence, DNA and cell membrane formation and energy transfer would not happen. With too much oxygen, nitrogen would flow out into space. The chemistry needed for life would not be there in both scenarios. For Earth to touch this sweet spot and sit inside this “chemical Goldilocks zone” makes it incredibly lucky. "Our models clearly show that the Earth is precisely within this range," Walton said in the statement.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/earth-has-a-tail-flowing-for-millions-of-kilometres-into-space-on-its-dark-side-1765431481520">Earth has a tail, flowing for millions of kilometres into space on its dark side</a> Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/what-would-earth-look-like-after-it-dies-mysterious-iron-bar-inside-ring-nebula-could-be-our-planet-s-fate-1768555967282">What would Earth look like after it dies? Mysterious iron bar inside Ring Nebula could be our planet's fate</a><h2>Why Mars doesn't have life</h2>They also looked at other planets like Mars, which does not sit in this chemical Goldilocks zone.The models show Mars has more phosphorus in the mantle than on Earth, but less nitrogen, conditions that would not support life. The study primarily challenges the assumption that a planet should be in the habitable zone - not too far, not too close to its star - for liquid water to exist, thus supporting life. This is basically the standard while searching for life in other worlds. However, the researcher says a planet could be in just the right place, but lacked the chemical balance during its birth, thus missing the crucial elements of life. "This makes searching for life on other planets a lot more specific. We should look for solar systems with stars that resemble our own sun," Walton said.&nbsp;

Earth is the only planet that supports life, and it is not just because of water or oxygen. Scientists have discovered that when our planet was born, it was sitting in the "chemical Goldilocks zone”, making it incredibly lucky.

Scientists have found that a lucky balance of chemicals is the reason why Earth supports life. While it does reside in the habitable zone, there is more that makes life thrive on a planet. According to a study, when Earth formed, it happened under an unusually precise set of chemical conditions that allowed for two crucial elements to be retained in perfect balance. Phosphorus and nitrogen are what make life possible on Earth. In their absence, it wouldn't matter where it sits in the solar system or the amount of water it has. The researchers say in the absence of these elements in perfect proportions, a rocky planet like Earth might seem like it can support life from the outside, but it wouldn't. "During the formation of a planet's core, there needs to be exactly the right amount of oxygen present so that phosphorus and nitrogen can remain on the surface of the planet," lead author Craig Walton, of ETH Zurich in Switzerland, said in a statement. Earth had it all when it took shape nearly 4.6 billion years ago. The findings were published February 9 in the journal Nature Astronomy. Planets, alien life and oxygen When planets are in their earliest stage of life, they are partially or fully molten. Later, the heavier metals sink and form the core, while the lighter elements move towards the surface. At this time, the amount of oxygen determines where other elements end up and if they would be available when life is born. Incredibly, the range for the perfect oxygen levels for both phosphorus and nitrogen to stay in a planet's mantle and crust is extremely narrow. If there is too little oxygen, phosphorus would combine with iron and move to the core. In its absence, DNA and cell membrane formation and energy transfer would not happen. With too much oxygen, nitrogen would flow out into space. The chemistry needed for life would not be there in both scenarios. For Earth to touch this sweet spot and sit inside this “chemical Goldilocks zone” makes it incredibly lucky. "Our models clearly show that the Earth is precisely within this range," Walton said in the statement. Also Read: Earth has a tail, flowing for millions of kilometres into space on its dark side Also Read: What would Earth look like after it dies? Mysterious iron bar inside Ring Nebula could be our planet's fate Why Mars doesn't have life They also looked at other planets like Mars, which does not sit in this chemical Goldilocks zone. The models show Mars has more phosphorus in the mantle than on Earth, but less nitrogen, conditions that would not support life. The study primarily challenges the assumption that a planet should be in the habitable zone - not too far, not too close to its star - for liquid water to exist, thus supporting life. This is basically the standard while searching for life in other worlds. However, the researcher says a planet could be in just the right place, but lacked the chemical balance during its birth, thus missing the crucial elements of life. "This makes searching for life on other planets a lot more specific. We should look for solar systems with stars that resemble our own sun," Walton said.

Earth is the only planet that supports life, and it is not just because of water or oxygen. Scientists have discovered that when our planet was born, it was sitting in the "chemical Goldilocks zone”, making it incredibly lucky.

Not water or location, but the 'chemical Goldilocks zone' is the secret reason Earth exists

The official number of exoplanets or planets outside our solar system, tracked by NASA has reached 6,000. 

Star Wars-style sunsets, diamond rain and doomed planets: 6 of the most extraordinary exoplanets of 2025

Some burn with iron rain, others slice with glass storms, and even our nearest neighbours turn hostile. These exoplanets remind us that survival beyond Earth may not just be difficult, it may be impossible.

Would you survive these planets? 6 horrifying worlds that kill with fire, glass and crushing pressure

A new catalogue of 126 strange worlds was published by NASA which in detail talked about these alien planets and how they are different from Earth.&nbsp;

Multiple papers were published related to this survey which specified some of the features of these alien planets.&nbsp;

The most extreme planet amongst them was TOI-1798 which was looked into by Alex Polanski, a physics and astronomy graduate student from the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

In the paper, lead author Polanski explained that this planet's orbit makes it travel very close to an orange dwarf star in a span of less than 12 hours.

What was more interesting was to find that one year on this planet is equal to less than half a day on planet Earth. The planet is also boiling hot as it gets more than 3,000 times the radiation Earth gets from the Sun.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/this-diamond-planet-is-lurking-near-earth-can-it-make-earthlings-richer-anytime-soon-742248">THIS diamond planet is lurking near Earth. Can it make Earthlings richer anytime soon?</a>

TOI-1798 is not just a planet but a system which has two planets. In this system, the inner planet is like a Super-Earth which is near its star and one year lasts about half an Earth day.&nbsp;

<h2>All about other alien exoplanets catalogued by NASA&nbsp;</h2>

In another paper, which was authored by UCR graduate student Michelle Hill, the discovery of two planets was mentioned which were spotted orbiting a star which is like our Sun that is almost 479 light years away.&nbsp;

Amongst the two, one was planet TOI-1386 b which is a “sub-Saturn” planet whose radius and mass are between that of Neptune and Saturn.

This planet needs just 26 days to orbit its star. Meanwhile, its neighbour TOI-1386 c is a gas giant which is as big as Jupiter, however, has a mass closer to Saturn’s and takes 227 days to complete a roundabout of the same star.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Mercury's Diamonds: What lies beneath the planet's crust?&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mercurys-diamonds-what-lies-beneath-the-planets-crust-743204/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

UCR graduate student Daria Pidhorodetska mentioned another planet in the paper which is half the size of Neptune and has a 19-day orbit around a star which is similar to our Sun.&nbsp;

“Planets smaller than Neptune but larger than Earth are the most prevalent worlds in our galaxy, yet they are absent from our own Solar System," said Pidhorodetska, in a&nbsp;news release.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A new catalogue of 126 strange worlds was published by NASA which in detail talked about these alien planets and how they are different from Earth. Multiple papers were published related to this survey which specified some of the features of these alien planets.

A new catalogue of 126 strange worlds was published by NASA which in detail talked about these alien planets and how they are different from Earth. Multiple papers were published related to this survey which specified some of the features of these alien planets. The most extreme planet amongst them was TOI-1798 which was looked into by Alex Polanski, a physics and astronomy graduate student from the University of Kansas. In the paper, lead author Polanski explained that this planet's orbit makes it travel very close to an orange dwarf star in a span of less than 12 hours. What was more interesting was to find that one year on this planet is equal to less than half a day on planet Earth. The planet is also boiling hot as it gets more than 3,000 times the radiation Earth gets from the Sun. Also Read: THIS diamond planet is lurking near Earth. Can it make Earthlings richer anytime soon? TOI-1798 is not just a planet but a system which has two planets. In this system, the inner planet is like a Super-Earth which is near its star and one year lasts about half an Earth day. All about other alien exoplanets catalogued by NASA In another paper, which was authored by UCR graduate student Michelle Hill, the discovery of two planets was mentioned which were spotted orbiting a star which is like our Sun that is almost 479 light years away. Amongst the two, one was planet TOI-1386 b which is a “sub-Saturn” planet whose radius and mass are between that of Neptune and Saturn. This planet needs just 26 days to orbit its star. Meanwhile, its neighbour TOI-1386 c is a gas giant which is as big as Jupiter, however, has a mass closer to Saturn’s and takes 227 days to complete a roundabout of the same star. Watch: Mercury's Diamonds: What lies beneath the planet's crust? UCR graduate student Daria Pidhorodetska mentioned another planet in the paper which is half the size of Neptune and has a 19-day orbit around a star which is similar to our Sun. “Planets smaller than Neptune but larger than Earth are the most prevalent worlds in our galaxy, yet they are absent from our own Solar System," said Pidhorodetska, in a news release. (With inputs from agencies)

THIS strange, alien world is boiling hot and completes one year in just half Earth day

NASA has scripted history by discovering&nbsp;six unknown worlds outside our Solar System, which has pushed the number of exoplanets hunted so far to 5,502.

The new find is likely to further expand the understanding of life beyond Earth and the Solar System.

In 1992, the scientists&nbsp;had found the first exoplanets&nbsp;- which were twin planets, Poltergeist and Phobetor - which orbited the pulsar PSR B1257+12.&nbsp;

<h2>What are these six exoplanets?</h2>

The six new exoplanets discovered are &nbsp;HD 36384 b, TOI-198 b, TOI-2095 b, TOI-2095 c, TOI-4860 b, and MWC 758 c.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/strictly-speaking-earth-is-not-revolving-around-the-sun-currently-heres-what-it-means-740359">Strictly speaking, Earth is not revolving around the Sun currently. Here's what it means</a>

HD 36384 b is a type of super-Jupiter which orbits a huge M giant star.' The scientists discovered this planet with the help of the radial velocity method.

TOI-198 b has been identified as a rocky planet which orbits on the habitable zone's innermost edge around the M dwarf star. The scientists used the transit method to detect this planet.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, TOI-2095 b and&nbsp;TOI-2095 c emerged as large and hot super-Earths which have been orbiting the same M dwarf star.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Scientists say the Earth's core is behaving oddly. Here's why

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Even though they are being called super-Earth, they share more similarity with Venus.&nbsp;

TOI-4860 b is a “hot Jupiter" or Jupiter-sized gas giant which orbits an M dwarf star. The planet completes an orbit every 1.52 days which means it is close to its star.

MWC 758 c is a type of giant protoplanet which has been orbiting a very young star. There is a protoplanetary disk on this star which is a rotating disc of dust and gas and can surround a young star.

When the scientists discovered the planet using direct imaging, it was discovered carving spiral arms into the protoplanetary disk of the star.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA has scripted history by discovering six unknown worlds outside our Solar System, which has pushed the number of exoplanets hunted so far to 5,502. The new find is likely to further expand the understanding of life beyond Earth and the Solar System.

NASA has scripted history by discovering six unknown worlds outside our Solar System, which has pushed the number of exoplanets hunted so far to 5,502. The new find is likely to further expand the understanding of life beyond Earth and the Solar System. In 1992, the scientists had found the first exoplanets - which were twin planets, Poltergeist and Phobetor - which orbited the pulsar PSR B1257+12. What are these six exoplanets? The six new exoplanets discovered are HD 36384 b, TOI-198 b, TOI-2095 b, TOI-2095 c, TOI-4860 b, and MWC 758 c. Also Read: Strictly speaking, Earth is not revolving around the Sun currently. Here's what it means HD 36384 b is a type of super-Jupiter which orbits a huge M giant star.' The scientists discovered this planet with the help of the radial velocity method. TOI-198 b has been identified as a rocky planet which orbits on the habitable zone's innermost edge around the M dwarf star. The scientists used the transit method to detect this planet. Meanwhile, TOI-2095 b and TOI-2095 c emerged as large and hot super-Earths which have been orbiting the same M dwarf star. Watch: Scientists say the Earth's core is behaving oddly. Here's why Even though they are being called super-Earth, they share more similarity with Venus. TOI-4860 b is a “hot Jupiter" or Jupiter-sized gas giant which orbits an M dwarf star. The planet completes an orbit every 1.52 days which means it is close to its star. MWC 758 c is a type of giant protoplanet which has been orbiting a very young star. There is a protoplanetary disk on this star which is a rotating disc of dust and gas and can surround a young star. When the scientists discovered the planet using direct imaging, it was discovered carving spiral arms into the protoplanetary disk of the star. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA spots six alien worlds rotating beyond Solar System, two are 'hot super-Earths'

Scientists have made a stunning discovery of water vapours looming in the atmosphere of the hot exoplanet of Saturn with the help of the CARMENES spectrograph. The exoplanet has been designated the HD 149026 b, which has been dubbed Smertrios.

Scientists have made a stunning discovery of water vapours looming in the atmosphere of the hot exoplanet of Saturn with the help of the CARMENES spectrograph. The exoplanet has been designated the HD 149026 b, which has been dubbed Smertrios. The scientists reported the findings in a research paper which was published on the preprint server arXiv. The scientists said that research can give a better understanding of the structure of this alien planet and how it was formed. The exoplanet Smertrios is a metal-rich hot planet which orbits a yellow subgiant star of spectral type G0 IV named HD 149026. This is located at a distance of nearly 248.5 light years. The planet has a radius of about 0.81 Jupiter radii and is nearly three times less massive than Jupiter. According to the previous observations, Smertrios orbits its host every 2.876 days, which is nearly 0.043 AU from it. The equilibrium temperature of the planet is estimated to be 1,693 K. Also Read: Exoplanet which receives rains of glass and is close to Earth is stinking like rotten eggs. Here's why The team of astronomers led by Sayyed A Rafi of the University of Tokyo in Japan used CARMENES at the Calar-Alto Observatory to carry out high-resolution cross-correlation spectroscopy of Smertrios. The scientists had aimed to gain more knowledge about the composition of the atmosphere of this exoplanet. "Transmission spectroscopy presents one of the most successful approaches for investigating the atmospheres of exoplanets. We analyzed the near-infrared high-resolution transmission spectrum of a hot Saturn, HD 149026 b, taken using CARMENES spectrograph," wrote the researchers in the paper. What does the existence of water vapour hint at? Rafi's team analysed the CARMENES data and discovered evidence of a water signal - which was found really close to the expected location of Smertrios. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of the strongest signal was 4.8. The astronomers emphasised that the detected signal can be considered as evidence of the existence of water vapour. Watch: Earth's days may be getting little longer: Unveiling the planet's mysteries As per the study, the water vapour evidence in the atmosphere of the exoplanet suggests that the carbon-to-oxygen ratio of the planet is likely to be less than one if the atmosphere is homogeneous and remains at a chemical equilibrium since the hydrogen cyanide abundance is likely to be very low. The researchers looked for hydrogen cyanide in the atmosphere of Smertrios. However, they failed to find any evidence of this compound. The astronomers stated that this was because of the relatively low S/N dataset. (With inputs from agencies)

Saturn's hellish exoplanet has water vapours! What's hiding in this alien world?

An international team of astronomers, with the use of NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), discovered two new "hot Jupiter" exoplanets. 
 
The newly-discovered alien worlds, which have been named TOI-4377 b and TOI-4551 b, are both orbit distant red-giant stars. The discoveries were reported in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on November 8. 
 
TESS, which was launched in April 2018, has been conducting a survey of nearly 200,000 of the brightest stars near the sun. The survey is aimed at searching for transiting exoplanets, which range from small, rocky worlds to gaseous giants.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-deep-space-optical-comm-achieves-first-light-as-it-sends-and-receives-data-661088">Laser message reaches Earth from nearly 10 million miles away in space</a>

To date, it has identified around 7,000 candidate exoplanets (TESS Objects of Interest, or TOI), among which 402 have so far been confirmed. 
 
A team of astronomers, headed by Filipe Pereira of the University of Porto, Portugal, confirmed spotting another two TOIs with the help of TESS. A transit signal was identified by them in the light curve of red-giant stars which are called TOI-4377 and TOI-4551, and are located 1,486 and 704 light years away. 
 
In follow-up radial velocity observations, with the use of ground-based telescopes, the astronomers verified the planetary nature of these signals. "The planets were found during a search for transits around bright, low-luminosity red-giant branch stars observed by TESS in the southern ecliptic hemisphere," the researchers said, in the paper.

<h2>Researchers label exoplanets as 'hot Jupiters'</h2>

The radius of TOI-4377 b is about 1.35 Jupiter radii and it has a mass of some 0.96 Jupiter masses. The planet has been observed to be orbiting its host every 4.38 days, from a distance of 0.058 AU, and its equilibrium temperature. 
 
The radius of planet TOI-4551 b is about 6 per cent larger compared to Jupiter, while its mass is nearly 1.49 Jupiter masses. As per the observations, TOI-4551 b has an orbital period of nearly 10 days.

Watch:&nbsp;SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites into orbit, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base | WION

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They are both nearly 3.5 times larger compared to the sun and have effective temperatures of nearly 5,000 K. It has been estimated that TOI-4377 is nearly 3.88 billion years old, and TOI-4551 is around 1 billion years older. 
 
Concluding the observations, the papers' authors stated that TOI-4377 b and TOI-4551 are both classified as "hot Jupiters" and are an example of giant alien worlds which have short orbital periods. 
 
"All in all, the two newly confirmed planets enrich the existing population of known hot Jupiters orbiting evolved hosts. They should prove particularly relevant to demographic studies of short-period giant planets around red-giant stars, where only a handful of planets are known," explained the researchers.

(With inputs from agencies)

An international team of astronomers, with the use of NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), discovered two new "hot Jupiter" exoplanets. The newly-discovered alien worlds, which have been named TOI-4377 b and TOI-4551 b, are both orbit distant red-giant stars.

An international team of astronomers, with the use of NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), discovered two new "hot Jupiter" exoplanets. The newly-discovered alien worlds, which have been named TOI-4377 b and TOI-4551 b, are both orbit distant red-giant stars. The discoveries were reported in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on November 8. TESS, which was launched in April 2018, has been conducting a survey of nearly 200,000 of the brightest stars near the sun. The survey is aimed at searching for transiting exoplanets, which range from small, rocky worlds to gaseous giants. Also Read: Laser message reaches Earth from nearly 10 million miles away in space To date, it has identified around 7,000 candidate exoplanets (TESS Objects of Interest, or TOI), among which 402 have so far been confirmed. A team of astronomers, headed by Filipe Pereira of the University of Porto, Portugal, confirmed spotting another two TOIs with the help of TESS. A transit signal was identified by them in the light curve of red-giant stars which are called TOI-4377 and TOI-4551, and are located 1,486 and 704 light years away. In follow-up radial velocity observations, with the use of ground-based telescopes, the astronomers verified the planetary nature of these signals. "The planets were found during a search for transits around bright, low-luminosity red-giant branch stars observed by TESS in the southern ecliptic hemisphere," the researchers said, in the paper. Researchers label exoplanets as 'hot Jupiters' The radius of TOI-4377 b is about 1.35 Jupiter radii and it has a mass of some 0.96 Jupiter masses. The planet has been observed to be orbiting its host every 4.38 days, from a distance of 0.058 AU, and its equilibrium temperature. The radius of planet TOI-4551 b is about 6 per cent larger compared to Jupiter, while its mass is nearly 1.49 Jupiter masses. As per the observations, TOI-4551 b has an orbital period of nearly 10 days. Watch: SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites into orbit, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base | WION They are both nearly 3.5 times larger compared to the sun and have effective temperatures of nearly 5,000 K. It has been estimated that TOI-4377 is nearly 3.88 billion years old, and TOI-4551 is around 1 billion years older. Concluding the observations, the papers' authors stated that TOI-4377 b and TOI-4551 are both classified as "hot Jupiters" and are an example of giant alien worlds which have short orbital periods. "All in all, the two newly confirmed planets enrich the existing population of known hot Jupiters orbiting evolved hosts. They should prove particularly relevant to demographic studies of short-period giant planets around red-giant stars, where only a handful of planets are known," explained the researchers. (With inputs from agencies)

Alien worlds: Astronomers discover two new 'hot Jupiters'. Here's all about these exoplanets

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‘The Apollo 17 anomaly’: What the US military revealed about the 1972 lunar mission

Not habitable zone, but 'chemical Goldilocks Zone' is the reason Earth exists

6 of the most extraordinary exoplanets discovered in 2025

6 horrifying worlds that kill with fire, glass and crushing pressure

THIS strange, alien world is boiling hot and completes one year in just half Earth day

NASA spots six alien worlds rotating beyond Solar System, two are 'hot super-Earths'

Saturn's hellish exoplanet has water vapours! What's hiding in this alien world?

Alien worlds: Astronomers discover two new 'hot Jupiters'. Here's all about these exoplanets