Planetary Science

Planetary Science

Ceres harbors homegrown organic compounds

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has detected organic matter — the building blocks of life — on the dwarf planet Ceres, a new study suggests.

Planetary Science

Red Planet’s interior may not churn much

The magma fueling a Martian volcanic system remained largely unchanged for billions of years, analysis of a newfound meteorite suggests.

Planetary Science

Oxygen atoms from Earth bombard the moon

Oxygen atoms originating from the upper atmosphere periodically bombard the moon’s surface, researchers propose.

Life

Asteroid barrage, ancient marine life boom not linked

Impacts from asteroid debris probably didn’t trigger the boom in marine animal diversity around 471 million years ago during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.

Planetary Science

Weird wave found in Venus’ wind-whipped atmosphere

A 10,000-kilometer-long gravity wave arched across the upper atmosphere of Venus. The feature may have been the largest of its kind in the solar system.

Planetary Science

The moon is still old

New analysis of moon rocks points to our satellite forming about 4.51 billion years ago, roughly 60 million years after the start of the solar system.

Planetary Science

Many tiny moons came together to form moon, simulations suggest

Earth’s moon formed from mini-moons generated by a series of medium to large impacts, rather than from one colossal collision, researchers propose

Planetary Science

Dawn spacecraft maps water beneath the surface of Ceres

Water ice sits just beneath the surface and within some permanently shadowed craters of the dwarf planet Ceres.

Planetary Science

Moon’s lava tubes could be colossal

Lava tubes inside the moon could remain structurally sound up to 5 kilometers across and offer prime real estate for lunar colonists.

Planetary Science

First signs of boron on Mars hint at past groundwater, habitability

The Curiosity rover has found the first signs of boron on Mars, which could hint at past habitable groundwater.

Planetary Science

First signs of boron on Mars hint at past groundwater, habitability

The Curiosity rover has found the first signs of boron on Mars, which could hint at past habitable groundwater.

Planetary Science

Ice gave Pluto a heavy heart

Sputnik Planitia, the left half of Pluto’s heart-shaped region, might have been carved out by the weight of thick layers of ice built up billions of years ago.