Planetary Science

  1. Planetary Science

    Icy rings found around tiny space rock

    Astronomers discover an icy ring around the planetoid Chariklo, held in place by unseen moons.

    By
  2. Planetary Science

    Icy planetoid found lurking at edge of solar system

    Astronomers discovered an icy planetoid orbiting beyond the edge of the Kuiper belt.

    By
  3. Planetary Science

    How Earth’s radiation belt gets its ‘stripes’

    The rotation of the Earth may give the planet's inner radiation belt its zebralike stripes.

    By
  4. Space

    Exoplanet oxygen may not signal alien life

    Oxygen in an exoplanet atmosphere may come from water and ultraviolet light, not alien life.

    By
  5. Planetary Science

    Mercury is more shriveled than originally thought

    Like a week-old party balloon, Mercury has shrunk over the last 4.6 billion years.

    By
  6. Planetary Science

    Feedback

    Readers respond to a special report on neuroscience and discuss moon dust.

    By
  7. Planetary Science

    Mojave Crater may be source of many Martian meteorites

    Many of the roughly 150 Martian meteorites found on Earth probably came from the Mojave Crater on Mars.

    By
  8. Planetary Science

    Asteroid disintegrates while spinning too fast

    Asteroid P/2013 R3 is shattering into a cloud of debris in these images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

    By
  9. Planetary Science

    Lunar asteroid impact caught on video

    On September 11, a dishwasher-sized meteoroid slammed into the nearside of the moon, exploding with the equivalent of 16 tons of TNT — and a lucky team of Spanish astronomers caught it on video.

    By
  10. Planetary Science

    Moon like blue cheese?

    The lunar surface turns out to have more grit than scientists thought.

    By
  11. Planetary Science

    Big space rock makes an impact on Mars

    An orbiting spacecraft snapped images of a huge crater and blast marks on the surface of the Red Planet.

    By
  12. Planetary Science

    Asteroid shows its inner differences

    The peanut-shaped space rock is more compact on one side than on the other.

    By