Planetary Science

  1. Planetary Science

    Comet delivered a showy meteor shower — on Mars

    Comet Siding Spring dumped several tons of material into the Martian atmosphere that could have damaged NASA spacecraft.

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  2. Planetary Science

    Water arrived on Earth earlier than thought

    Ancient meteorites from the asteroid Vesta indicate that Earth’s water was available before planet formed.

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  3. Science & Society

    Asteroids closer to home may get us to Mars

    NASA should abandon its attempt to bring a space rock into lunar orbit and instead scrutinize ones already whizzing by Earth, one scientist argues.

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  4. Planetary Science

    Rosetta’s comet is starting to let off more gas

    Rosetta's close encounter with comet 67P reveals the growth of its jets and what's in the comet's surrounding haze.

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  5. Planetary Science

    Mars orbiter snaps close up of comet Siding Spring

    NASA's spacecraft are giving astronomers a good look at a comet from the Oort cloud.

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  6. Planetary Science

    Comet Siding Spring makes close pass by Mars

    Mars appears to have survived its close encounter with comet Siding Spring mostly unscathed.

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  7. Planetary Science

    ‘Mars Rover Curiosity’ chronicles robot’s journey

    Engineer Rob Manning recounts the decade of victories and setbacks that preceded Curiosity’s landing on Mars.

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  8. Astronomy

    Second stop planned for mission to Pluto

    Scientists identify three possible targets for the New Horizons probe after it visits the former planet.

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  9. Planetary Science

    Surprises lurk inside a Saturn moon

    NASA’s Cassini spacecraft finds possible ocean or football-shaped core inside Mimas.

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  10. Planetary Science

    MAVEN gives first look at Mars’ escaping atmosphere

    Bits of Mars have been caught in the act of floating off into space.

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  11. Chemistry

    Lasers wrest oxygen from carbon dioxide

    By zapping oxygen molecules off carbon dioxide, an experiment hints that Earth may have had breathable air long before the dawn of plants.

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  12. Planetary Science

    Sun may make most of the water on moon’s surface

    A constant stream of particles from the sun bombarding the moon's surface may be the source of most lunar water.

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