Planetary Science

  1. Astronomy

    A sandy core may have kept Enceladus’ ocean warm

    Friction in Enceladus’ porous core could help heat its ocean enough to keep it liquid for billions of years.

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  2. Planetary Science

    See a new mosaic of images of comet 67P from the Rosetta mission

    A montage of images taken by the Rosetta spacecraft and its lander, Philae, recap the daring mission to comet 67P.

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  3. Earth

    Dino-dooming asteroid impact created a chilling sulfur cloud

    The Chicxulub impact spewed more sulfur than previously believed.

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  4. Astronomy

    An interstellar asteroid might have just been spotted for the first time

    A newly spotted asteroid might be the first known to come from outside the solar system, and it could carry information about the makeup of alien planet systems.

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  5. Astronomy

    Dawn spacecraft will keep orbiting the dwarf planet Ceres indefinitely

    NASA just gave the Dawn spacecraft a second mission extension to orbit Ceres indefinitely.

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  6. Astronomy

    Here’s what space toilets can teach us about finding signs of alien life

    Lessons learned from flushing space toilets can help researchers plan life-hunting missions to icy moons.

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  7. Astronomy

    Oddball dwarf planet Haumea has a ring

    The dwarf planet Haumea is now the most distant ringed object spotted in the solar system.

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  8. Astronomy

    Why it’s good news that Pluto doesn’t have rings

    The New Horizons team searched for rings around Pluto, and found nothing. That suggests the spacecraft’s next destination might be ring-free too.

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  9. Astronomy

    How a meteor shower helped solve the case of the vanishing comet

    A missing comet has been linked to a long-lost meteor shower, helping astronomers recover both.

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  10. Astronomy

    New questions about Arecibo’s future swirl in the wake of Hurricane Maria

    The iconic Arecibo Observatory was damaged in Hurricane Maria, but not as much as originally thought. But its funding is still in doubt.

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  11. Astronomy

    Ice in space might flow like honey and bubble like champagne

    Zapping simulated space ice with imitation starlight makes the ice act more like a liquid than a solid, meaning similar ices in space might be good places for organic chemistry.

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  12. Astronomy

    R.I.P. Cassini

    After 20 years, nearly 300 orbits and pioneering discoveries, the Cassini spacecraft plunges to its death in Saturn’s atmosphere — taking data until its very last breath.

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