Planetary Science

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.

Earth

How a ring of mountains forms inside a crater

Rocks drilled from the Chicxulub crater linked to the demise of the dinosaurs reveal how mountainous peak rings form within large impact craters.

Planetary Science

X-ray mystery shrouds Pluto

Chandra telescope detects seven X-ray photons coming from Pluto, suggesting that the solar wind runs into a tail of gas streaming from the dwarf planet.

Planetary Science

Mars lander debris spotted

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter imaged the impact site of the Schiaparelli Mars lander, missing in action since its October 19 descent.

Planetary Science

Two unseen moons may circle Uranus

Two more moons might be lurking around Uranus, causing material in the planet’s rings to clump up, Voyager 2 data suggest.

Planetary Science

First peek under clouds reveals Jupiter’s surprising depths

Jupiter’s colorful bands originate several hundred kilometers beneath the cloud tops, the Juno spacecraft reveals.

Planetary Science

Mars lander silent as mission scientists work out what went wrong

Schiaparelli lander is still silent on the surface of Mars while mission scientists try to understand what happened during the probe’s descent.

Planetary Science

Experts don’t agree on age of Saturn’s rings

Saturn’s rings could be almost as old as the solar system, and the Cassini craft is poised to help find out.