Planetary Science
- 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.
- Planetary Science
Machine learning points to prime places in Antarctica to find meteorites
Using data on how ice moves across Antarctica, researchers identified more than 600 spots where space rocks may gather on the southern continent.
- Planetary Science
Organic molecules in an ancient Mars meteorite formed via geology, not alien life
Analysis of an ancient Martian meteorite reveals that organic molecules within it were formed by geologic processes rather than alien life.
- Astronomy
Astronomers identified a second possible exomoon
Kepler 1708 b i, a newly discovered candidate for an exoplanet moon, has a radius about 2.6 times that of Earth, a new study suggests.
- Planetary Science
Oxygen-rich exoplanets may be geologically active
Experiments show that rocks exposed to higher concentrations of oxygen have a lower melting temperature than rocks exposed to lower amounts.
- Planetary Science
Enceladus’ plumes might not come from an underground ocean
The celebrated plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus could come from pockets of watery mush in the moon’s icy shell, simulations suggest.
- Space
Spacecraft in 2021 set their sights on Mars, asteroids and beyond
This year, a bevy of new missions got under way on Mars and spacecraft prepared to visit asteroids.
- Planetary Science
Ingenuity is still flying on Mars. Here’s what the helicopter is up to
NASA’s Ingenuity craft was originally planned to operate only 30 Martian days.
- Planetary Science
This tiny, sizzling exoplanet could be made of molten iron
A newly discovered exoplanet that whips around its star in less than eight hours is smaller than Earth, as dense as iron and hot enough to melt.
- Space
A space rock called Kamoʻoalewa may be a piece of the moon
New observations reveal the possible origins of a mysterious object called Kamoʻoalewa. It could be the wreckage from an ancient impact on the moon.
