Planetary Science

Planetary Science

Comet 67P cracking under pressure

Cracks developing on comet 67P are signs of stress building in the neck of the comet that could lead to its two ends snapping apart.

Planetary Science

Saturn’s moon Dione might harbor an underground ocean

Saturn’s moon Dione might have an underground ocean, like several other moons in the solar system.

Planetary Science

Saturn’s moon Dione might harbor an underground ocean

Saturn’s moon Dione might have an underground ocean, like several other moons in the solar system.

Planetary Science

Rock hounds are on the hunt for new carbon minerals

The race is on to find about 140 predicted carbon-based minerals in locations around the world. Map included.

Planetary Science

Rosetta spacecraft ends mission

The Rosetta mission comes to an end as spacecraft touches down on surface of comet 67P/ Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

Planetary Science

Rosetta spacecraft lands on comet, ends mission

The Rosetta mission comes to an end as spacecraft touches down on surface of comet 67P/ Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

Planetary Science

So long, Rosetta: End is near for comet orbiter

During its time in orbit around comet 67P, the Rosetta spacecraft discovered diverse terrains, organic molecules and a source of water quite different from Earth’s oceans.

Planetary Science

Europa spouting off again

Plumes of presumably water erupt from the surface of Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa, in images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Planetary Science

Mercury’s surface still changing

A population of small cliffs on Mercury suggests that the planet might have been tectonically active in the last 50 million years.

Planetary Science

A salty sea could lurk beneath the heart of Pluto

An ocean more than 100 kilometers thick might hide beneath Pluto’s surface.

Planetary Science

Source of Charon’s red north pole is probably Pluto

The dark red pole on Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, is probably gas that escaped from Pluto and was then transformed by sunlight.

Planetary Science

Source of Charon’s red north pole is probably Pluto

The dark red pole on Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, is probably gas that escaped from Pluto and was then transformed by sunlight.