Planetary Science

Astronomy

The tiny dot in this image may be the first look at exomoons in the making

New ALMA observations offer some of the strongest evidence yet that planets around other stars have moons.

Planetary Science

Marsquakes reveal the Red Planet boasts a liquid core half its diameter

Analyses of seismic waves picked up by NASA’s InSight lander shed new light on the planet’s core and give clues to the thickness of the crust.

Planetary Science

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has begun its first science campaign

Now about 1 kilometer south of its landing spot, the rover has spotted several promising spots in its search for hints of ancient life.

Planetary Science

A century of astronomy revealed Earth’s place in the universe

The past century of astronomy has been a series of revolutions, each one kicking Earth a bit farther to the margins.

Planetary Science

Lakes of liquid water at Mars’ southern ice cap may just be mirages

In 2018, scientists found evidence for water lakes sitting beneath the southern Martian ice cap. New evidence suggests the lakes might not exist.

Astronomy

A shadowy birthplace may explain Jupiter’s strange chemistry

Dust that blocked sunlight caused the giant planet to form in a deep freeze, a new study suggests.

Planetary Science

NASA will be heading back to Venus for the first time in decades

Two newly selected missions, VERITAS and DAVINCI+, will explore the history of the planet's water and habitability.

Planetary Science

Laser experiments suggest helium rain falls on Jupiter

Compressing a hydrogen and helium mixture with lasers shows that the two elements separate at pressures found within gas giant planets.

Space

China’s first Mars rover has landed and is sending its first pictures

The country just became the second nation, after the United States, to successfully land a rover on Mars. Its rover will search for subsurface ice.

Astronomy

Saturn has a fuzzy core, spread over more than half the planet’s diameter

Analysis of a wave in one of Saturn’s rings has revealed that the planet’s core is diffuse and bloated with lots of hydrogen and helium.

Planetary Science

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter’s mission with Perseverance has been extended

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has passed all its tests and is ready to support the Perseverance rover in looking for ancient Martian life.

Planetary Science

NASA’s Perseverance rover split CO₂ to make breathable air on Mars

An oxygen-making experiment on Perseverance shows that astronauts will one day be able to make air to breathe and, better yet, rocket fuel.