Planetary Science
- Planetary Science
Ring ripples reveal how long a day lasts on Saturn
Clues in Saturn’s rings divulge the planet’s rotation rate: 10 hours, 33 minutes, 38 seconds.
- Planetary Science
The moon’s craters suggest Earth hasn’t erased lots of past impacts
A new look at moon craters suggests the Earth and moon suffered more impacts in the last 290 million years, and the Earth retains its biggest scars.
- Planetary Science
Two daring spacecraft aim to bring asteroid dust back to Earth
A pair of daredevil spacecraft that aim to bring asteroid dust back to Earth have reached their targets and are scouting for the best sampling spots.
- Planetary Science
China just landed the first spacecraft on the moon’s farside
China’s Chang’e-4 lander and rover just became the first spacecraft to land on the farside of the moon.
- Planetary Science
New Horizons shows Ultima Thule looks like a snowman, or maybe BB-8
Ultima Thule’s snowmanlike shape shows the New Horizons target was probably two space rocks that got stuck together.
- Planetary Science
Live updates: New Horizons’ flyby of a distant Kuiper Belt object
The New Horizons spacecraft is ready for the most distant close flyby of a rocky object in the solar system, a rocky body called MU69 or Ultima Thule.
- Space
The sugar that makes up DNA could be made in space
Deoxyribose, the sugar of DNA, was created in a lab simulating ice in space.
- Planetary Science
New Horizons gears up for its close encounter with Ultima Thule
On January 1, the New Horizons spacecraft will fly by Ultima Thule, the first small Kuiper Belt object ever to get a close visitor.
- Planetary Science
A buried lake on Mars excited and baffled scientists
Planetary scientists are still trying to explain how a lake could have formed beneath a kilometer and a half of Martian ice.
- Planetary Science
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx finds signs of water on the asteroid Bennu
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft found signs of water and lots of boulders on the asteroid Bennu.
- Planetary Science
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has finally arrived at asteroid Bennu
Planetary scientists hope the probe will reveal if such carbon-rich asteroids helped kick-start life on Earth.
- Planetary Science
NASA’s InSight lander has touched down safely on Mars
NASA’s InSight lander just touched down on Mars for a years-long study of the Red Planet’s insides.
