Planetary Science
- Planetary Science
Lava and frost may form the mysterious lumps on Jupiter’s moon Io
Jets of gas released when hot meets cold on the volcanic moon Io could generate sprawling fields of dunes, a study finds.
- Planetary Science
U.S. planetary scientists want to explore Uranus and Enceladus next
A report on recommendations for the next 10 years of U.S. planetary science prioritizes sending an orbiter to Uranus and an “orbilander” to Enceladus.
- Planetary Science
Europa may have much more shallow liquid water than scientists thought
Mysterious pairs of ridges scar Jupiter’s moon Europa. Analyzing a similar set in Greenland suggests shallow water is behind the features’ formation.
- Planetary Science
Here’s how NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has spent 1 year on Mars
The first flying robot on the Red Planet arrived as a technology demonstration. It’s now a trusty scout for its rover partner, Perseverance.
- Planetary Science
This is the biggest known comet in our solar system
The nucleus of comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is about 120 kilometers across — about twice the width of Rhode Island — and is darker than coal.
- Planetary Science
New thermal maps of Neptune reveal surprising temperature swings
Neptune's atmospheric temperatures show a global drop and later, a weird isolated spike at the south pole. Scientists don't yet know why.
- Planetary Science
Mars has two speeds of sound
High-pitched clacks from a laser on NASA’s Perseverance rover zapping rocks traveled faster than the lower-pitched hum of the Ingenuity helicopter’s blades.
- Planetary Science
Diamonds may stud Mercury’s crust
Billions of years of meteorite impacts may have flash-baked much of a primitive graphite crust into precious gemstones.
- Planetary Science
An ancient impact on Earth led to a cascade of cratering
For the first time, scientists have discovered clusters of craters on Earth that were formed by the impacts of material thrown out of a larger crater.
- Planetary Science
These are the first visible-light images of Venus’ surface captured from space
Cameras aboard NASA’s Parker Solar Probe managed to peer through Venus’ thick clouds to photograph the planet’s surface.
- Planetary Science
50 years ago, Arecibo got an unprecedented view of Venus’ surface
Over its 57-year lifetime, Arecibo’s radar system measured the mountains around Venus’ middle, studied the textures of many rocky bodies in outer space and more.
- Planetary Science
Earth has a second known ‘Trojan asteroid’ that shares its orbit
A recently found space rock is about one kilometer wide, orbits ahead of Earth around the sun and will stick around for at least 4,000 years.
