Planetary Science

  1. Planetary Science

    Saturn Watch: Cassini finds two new moons and lightning

    The Cassini spacecraft has detected two moons that may be the smallest ever found around Saturn as well as changes in the character of lightning first detected in Saturn's atmosphere in the early 1980s.

    By Ron Cowen
  2. Planetary Science

    Finding a lunar meteorite’s home

    Scientists have for the first time pinpointed the source of a meteorite that came from the moon.

    By Ron Cowen
  3. Planetary Science

    The sound of rings

    When Cassini reached Saturn on June 30, it twice dashed through a gap in the planet's rings, and onboard science instruments recorded a flurry of ring dust harmlessly striking the spacecraft.

    By Ron Cowen
  4. Planetary Science

    Meteorites quickly reach Earth

    Fragments from collisions between large bodies in the asteroid belt can reach Earth in as little as 100,000 years.

    By Sid Perkins
  5. Planetary Science

    A little bit of Mars on Earth

    Scouring an ice field in Antarctica, scientists have made the latest discovery of a chunk of rock that was blasted from Mars and fell to Earth.

    By Ron Cowen
  6. Planetary Science

    Titanic Images, Groovy Shots: Cassini arrives at Saturn

    After a 7-year, 3.5-billion-mile journey, the Cassini spacecraft last week slipped through a gap between two of the icy rings circling Saturn and became the first spacecraft to orbit the distant planet.

    By Ron Cowen
  7. Planetary Science

    Cometary encounter

    Planetary scientists are feasting on close-up images of Comet Wild 2 as well as on the first information about its composition.

    By Ron Cowen
  8. Planetary Science

    NASA postpones plans for Mars samples

    Still reeling from the failure of its two most recent missions to Mars, NASA announced late last month that it would delay by nearly a decade plans to bring back samples from the Red Planet.

    By Ron Cowen
  9. Planetary Science

    When storms collide on Jupiter

    Astronomers have for the first time witnessed two giant storms merging on Jupiter.

    By Ron Cowen
  10. Planetary Science

    Portrait of Phoebe: Cassini images a large Saturn moon

    The Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft took the first close-up images ever recorded of one of Saturn's oddest moons, Phoebe.

    By Ron Cowen
  11. Planetary Science

    Rovers in overtime

    NASA has extended the missions of the twin Mars rovers by 5 months, through September 2004.

    By Ron Cowen
  12. Planetary Science

    New moons for Saturn

    Astronomers reported the discovery of four new moons orbiting Saturn.

    By Ron Cowen