Planetary Science

  1. Earth

    A weaker magnetic field may have paved the way for marine life to go big

    Decreased protection from cosmic radiation may have increased oxygen levels in the atmosphere and oceans, allowing animals to grow larger.

    By
  2. Planetary Science

    Pluto’s heart-shaped basin might not hide an ocean after all

    Planetary scientists propose an alternative theory to explain why Sputnik Planitia has stayed put across Pluto’s equator.

    By
  3. Planetary Science

    Our picture of habitability on Europa, a top contender for hosting life, is changing

    The moon of Jupiter is considered one of the most promising places to look for life, but its subsurface ocean may be less habitable than once thought.

    By
  4. Planetary Science

    Jupiter’s moon Io may have been volcanically active ever since it was born

    An analysis of the moon’s atmospheric composition suggests that it has been spewing sulfur for roughly 4.6 billion years.

    By
  5. Planetary Science

    Titan’s dark dunes could be made from comets

    Saturn’s largest moon could have gotten its sands from an ancient reshuffling of the solar system. If true, that would solve a long-standing mystery.

    By
  6. Planetary Science

    The desert planet in ‘Dune’ is plausible, according to science

    Humans could live on the fictional planet Arrakis from Dune but (thankfully) no giant sandworms would menace them.

    By
  7. Planetary Science

    Odysseus’ historic moon mission comes to an end

    Odysseus downloaded data from all payloads before going to sleep February 28. The cold lunar night proved fatal to efforts to reawaken the lunar lander.

    By
  8. Planetary Science

    NASA’s OSIRIS-REx nabbed over 120 grams of space rocks from asteroid Bennu

    After being stymied by two stuck screws, NASA finally accessed a trove of Bennu asteroid bits. Mission scientist Harold Connolly tells what’s next.

    By
  9. Space

    How ‘Our Moon’ shaped life on Earth and human history

    Science News reviews Rebecca Boyle’s new wide-ranging book, which tells the story of the moon and its relationship with the inhabitants of Earth.

    By
  10. Planetary Science

    Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon might contain a hidden ocean

    A fresh look at Cassini data reveals slight changes in the tiny moon’s orbit that suggest the presence of a vast ocean beneath the satellite’s icy shell.

    By
  11. Planetary Science

    An asteroid may have exploded over Antarctica about 2.5 million years ago

    Tiny spherules of rock found in Antarctic ice may point to the oldest known “airburst,” or midair disintegration of an incoming asteroid.

    By
  12. Planetary Science

    Bacteria that can make humans sick could survive on Mars

    Experiments suggest that common illness-causing microbes could not only survive on the Red Planet but also might be able to thrive.

    By