Christopher Crockett is an Associate News Editor. He was formerly the astronomy writer from 2014 to 2017, and he has a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles.
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All Stories by Christopher Crockett
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Planetary Science
Phobos starting to crack under pressure
Grooves that wrap around Phobos show that the Martian moon is starting to crack from stress.
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Planetary Science
Impact from a space rock may have helped shape Pluto’s heart
Pluto’s heart is deep basin, possibly caused by a run in with something else in the Kuiper belt.
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Planetary Science
Impact from a space rock might have formed Pluto’s heart
Pluto’s heart is deep basin, possibly caused by a run in with something else in the Kuiper belt.
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Planetary Science
Pluto continues to deliver surprises
Ice volcanoes, young landscapes and twirling moons are just a few more surprises from Pluto.
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Planetary Science
MAVEN mission finding clues to Mars’ climate change
Intense solar storms in the past might have stripped Mars of its water as well as much of the rest of its atmosphere.
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Planetary Science
Course set for New Horizons journey to Kuiper belt object
New Horizons bids Pluto farewell as it starts a 1.45-billion-kilometer cruise to its next target.
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Astronomy
Nearby galaxies put a lens on hundreds of distant ones
Cache of faint galaxies in early universe discovered with help from massive galaxy clusters a bit closer to home.
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Planetary Science
Pluto’s smaller moons pose mysteries
The four smaller moons of Pluto are finally revealed in images from New Horizons, and might hold some clues to the dwarf planet’s past.
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Astronomy
‘Halloween fireballs’ may light up the night sky
Trick-or-treaters might get treated to a meteor swarm for Halloween.
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Planetary Science
Oxygen leaking from comet surprises astronomers
The Rosetta spacecraft detected oxygen molecules coming out of comet 67P that might have been buried since the formation of the solar system.
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Planetary Science
Cassini preps to shower in Enceladus’ ocean
The Cassini spacecraft is gearing up for one last plunge through the water geysers on Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn.