Planetary Science

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.

Planetary Science

An orbiter glitch may mean some signs of liquid water on Mars aren’t real

The way that scientists process data from a Mars orbiter creates what look like signs of saltwater, but may actually be nothing, a study finds.

Science & Society

Readers react to the SN 10 and Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Readers expressed their thoughts about the SN 10 scientists, Saturn's hexagons and Jocelyn Bell Burnell.

Planetary Science

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover will look for ancient life in a former river delta

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover is going to Jezero crater, the site of an ancient river delta that may harbor signs of life.

Planetary Science

Tiny satellites will relay news of InSight’s Mars landing in minutes, not hours

NASA’s InSight Mars lander brought along two tiny CubeSats to send details about the spacecraft’s landing to Earth in almost real time.

Astronomy

Astronomers spot another star that flickers like Tabby’s star

The irregular flickering of star VVV-WIT-07 is reminiscent of Tabby’s star, which brought speculation of alien megastructures.

Astronomy

One of Earth’s shimmering dust clouds has been spotted at last

Almost 60 years after a Polish astronomer spotted clouds of dust orbiting Earth near the moon, astronomers have detected those clouds again.

Planetary Science

China is about to visit uncharted territory on the moon

The next two Chinese missions to the moon will visit places no spacecraft has been before. The rest of the world wants a piece of the lunar action.

Planetary Science

Hints of Oort clouds around other stars may lurk in the universe’s first light

Sifting through the universe’s early light could reveal planetary graveyards orbiting other stars.