Planetary Science

  1. Planetary Science

    Meteor showers dig up water on the moon

    Meteorites release water from the moon’s soil, hinting that the moon has water buried all across its surface.

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  2. Planetary Science

    Saturn’s moon Titan sports phantom hydrocarbon lakes

    Three lakes on Saturn’s moon Titan have pulled a vanishing act, a study finds.

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  3. Planetary Science

    Israel’s first moon mission lost moments before landing

    The spacecraft’s engine cut out just before it was to touch down in the Sea of Serenity.

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  4. Science & Society

    The delight of discovering an asteroid that spits

    Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses recent news about the asteroid Bennu and Kuiper Belt–object Ultima Thule.

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  5. Planetary Science

    Hayabusa2 has blasted the surface of asteroid Ryugu to make a crater

    Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft shot a projectile at Ryugu. Next: collecting asteroid dust from the probable impact crater left behind.

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  6. Astronomy

    This planetary remnant somehow survived the death of its sun

    A small, sturdy piece of planet survived the collapse of its sun and now orbits the dead star.

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  7. Planetary Science

    Metal asteroids may have once had iron-spewing volcanoes

    Two groups of scientists introduce the idea of “ferrovolcanism,” or iron volcanoes, that could have occurred on metal asteroids like Psyche.

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  8. Planetary Science

    Saturn’s rings paint some of its moons shades of blue and red

    Moons located among Saturn’s inner rings are different colors depending on their distance from the planet, suggesting they’re picking up ring debris.

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  9. Planetary Science

    Kuiper Belt dust may be in our atmosphere (and NASA labs) right now

    Bits of space debris that collect in Earth’s atmosphere may come from as far as the cold, distant Kuiper Belt region beyond Neptune.

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  10. Planetary Science

    Ryugu is probably a chip off one of these two other asteroids

    Japan’s Hayabusa2 team has narrowed down the asteroid Ryugu’s origins based on its color.

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  11. Planetary Science

    Surprising astronomers, Bennu spits plumes of dust into space

    Bennu spews dust from its rocky surface, which may be a new kind of asteroid activity.

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  12. Planetary Science

    Ultima Thule may be a frankenworld

    The first geologic map of Ultima Thule shows it might be made of many smaller rocks that clumped together under the force of their own gravity.

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