Planetary Science

  1. Astronomy

    3 explanations for ‘Oumuamua that aren’t alien spaceships

    Astronomers are coming up with some creative ideas to explain the weird behavior of the first known interstellar object.

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  2. Planetary Science

    Hayabusa2 just tried to collect asteroid dust for the first time

    The Japanese Hayabusa2 spacecraft touched down on asteroid Ryugu and attempted to gather a sample of its rock to bring back to Earth.

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  3. Planetary Science

    Neptune’s smallest moon may be a chip off another moon

    Neptune’s tiniest moon probably formed when a comet hit a larger moon.

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  4. Planetary Science

    Mars’ lake may need an underground volcano to exist

    If a lake under Martian ice is real, there must be a subsurface magma pool to keep conditions warm enough for water to remain liquid, scientists say.

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  5. Planetary Science

    After 15 years on Mars, it’s the end of the road for Opportunity

    After 15 years of exploring Mars, a dust storm led to the demise of NASA’s longest-lived rover.

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  6. Planetary Science

    A basketball-sized rock hit the moon during the last lunar eclipse

    Professional and amateur astronomers joined forces to analyze the impact.

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  7. Astronomy

    A space rock collision may explain how this exoplanet was born

    Simulations suggest a planet roughly 2,000 light-years away formed when two space rocks collided, supporting the idea that such events are universal.

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  8. Planetary Science

    Titan’s oddly thick atmosphere may come from cooked organic compounds

    Saturn’s moon Titan might get some of its hazy atmosphere by baking organic molecules in a warm core.

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  9. Planetary Science

    NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover weighed the mountain it’s climbing

    Curiosity measures gravity as it drives, allowing scientists to weigh Mount Sharp and determine that the rock is less dense than expected.

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  10. Planetary Science

    The latest picture of Ultima Thule reveals a remarkably smooth face

    Kuiper Belt object MU69, nicknamed Ultima Thule, is largely unmarred by impact craters, suggesting the Kuiper Belt might lack small objects.

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  11. Planetary Science

    We spent New Year’s Eve in the Kuiper Belt

    Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses Science News' coverage of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft's flyby of Ultima Thule.

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  12. 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.

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