Planetary Science

  1. Earth

    Irrigation draining California groundwater at ‘unsustainable’ pace

    The GRACE satellites have tracked water movement from the Central Valley since 2003.

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  2. Planetary Science

    Pluto’s cloud components verified

    Newly analyzed observations suggest that particles are tiny spherules of frozen nitrogen and carbon monoxide.

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  3. Earth

    Deep hole spotted on moon

    The feature may be a ‘skylight’ in an underground lava tube.

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  4. Planetary Science

    Mercury, As Never Seen Before: MESSENGER visits innermost planet

    The first spacecraft to visit Mercury in 33 years imaged 25 percent of the crater-pocked surface that had never before been seen close-up.

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  5. Ecosystems

    Windy with a chance of weevils

    Scientists have traced the reappearance of cotton pests in west-central Texas to a tropical storm.

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  6. Planetary Science

    Award named for late Science News writer

    Jonathan Eberhart's name lives on in a new planetary-sciences award.

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  7. Space

    Water on the moon: How much?

    Ron Cowen reports from the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Measuring citations: Calculations can vary widely

    Depending on how citation tallies will be used, it may pay to cherry pick the appropriate counting house.

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  9. Astronomy

    Rock solid planet

    Researchers have found the first compelling evidence for a rocky planet beyond the solar system.

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  10. Earth

    Atmospheric rollercoaster followed Great Oxidation Event

    Analyses of chromium isotopes in banded iron formations suggest oxygen levels fell for a period after the Great Oxidation Event.

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  11. Planetary Science

    Celestial population boom

    Large meteoroids are probably more common than telescopic surveys suggest, new analyses find.

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  12. Planetary Science

    Stars go kaboom, spilling cosmic secrets

    Astronomers hope type 1a supernovas will help in quest to explain dark energy.

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