Planetary Science

Planetary Science

Mars orbiter locates lost Beagle 2 lander

The Beagle 2 lander, missing since 2003, has been found on the surface of the Red Planet in images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Astronomy

Europa’s geysers play hard-to-see

Follow-up observations of Europa failed to confirm the existence of geysers venting the Jupiter moon’s hidden ocean into space.

Planetary Science

Grazing crater rim may have saved comet lander

Bumping off the rim of a crater probably saved the robotic comet Philae from a cold, dark death, a new analysis of images suggests.

Planetary Science

Rosetta may have spotted comet’s primordial ingredients

Photos taken by the Rosetta spacecraft may show pristine material that formed the solar system’s comets, asteroids and planets roughly 4.6 billion years ago.

Planetary Science

Year in review: Rosetta mission hits its target

The Rosetta spacecraft and its lander Philae are providing an intimate look at the life of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Planetary Science

Rover finds methane in Mars air, organics in rocks

NASA’s Curiosity rover has found organic molecules on Mars, but scientists can’t say whether they are a sign of life on the Red Planet.

Planetary Science

Year in review: Tectonics active on Europa

Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa has a shifting exterior analogous to Earth’s plate tectonics.

Planetary Science

Solar wind probably leaches Mars’ lower atmosphere

Initial results from NASA's MAVEN probe may help explain how Mars has lost its atmosphere: The solar wind penetrates the Red Planet’s atmosphere and fuels escaping gas.

Planetary Science

Year in review: Ocean may power Enceladus’ geysers

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft builds a stronger case for a subsurface ocean on Enceladus that drives ice geysers on the moon’s south pole.

Planetary Science

Year in review: Business booming on Mars

Mars now has seven robots studying it and together they have given scientists their best view of any planet in the solar system other than Earth.

Planetary Science

Rosetta casts doubt on comets as Earth’s water providers

Water in comet 67P’s thin, hazy atmosphere doesn’t chemically match Earth’s oceans, suggesting that asteroids, not comets, brought water to the planet.

Planetary Science

Martian crater was once filled with liquid water

Sandstone deposits on Mars indicate that Gale Crater, the Curiosity rover’s stomping ground, was once a lake fed by rivers.