Planetary Science
NASA’s Interplanetary Plans May Be Lurching toward Disaster
Delays and budgetary overruns are causing many to worry that NASA’s ambitious planetary science program is at a breaking point
Planetary Science74 articles archived since 1845
Planetary Science
Where Did Mars’s Moons Come From?
New results from a U.A.E. orbiter suggest Mars’s moons may be pieces of the planet. A Japanese mission will tell us for sure
Planetary Science
Jupiter’s Hot Youth May Have Melted Its Icy Moons
A gas giant planet’s youthful glow could explain major differences between its four largest satellites
Planetary Science
Inside the New Missions to Jupiter’s Moons
Spacecraft will explore hidden oceans and the possibility of life on the moons of Jupiter
Planetary Science
Europe Successfully Launches JUICE Mission to Study Jupiter’s Icy Moons
The ambitious Jupiter moon mission JUICE has begun its long journey to the Jovian system
Planetary Science
JWST Captures Stunning Image of Rings around Uranus
The imagery offers a rare view of the ice giant’s ring system, bright moons and dynamic atmosphere
Planetary Science
NASA’s Perseverance Rover May Already Have Evidence of Ancient Martian Life
A half-kilogram’s worth of samples gathered by NASA’s Perseverance rover for eventual return to Earth holds weighty implications for life on Mars
Planetary Science
NASA’s Uranus Mission Is Running Out of Time
Multiple obstacles might make it hard for NASA to turn its dream of ice giant exploration into a reality any time soon
Planetary Science
Asteroid Didymos May Spin So Fast It Flings Rocks into Space
The asteroid Didymos witnessed its companion get slammed by NASA’s DART spacecraft, and Didymos itself may have interesting activity
Planetary Science
JWST Sees No Atmosphere on ‘Earthlike’ TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanet
TRAPPIST-1b is probably an airless rock, but the same may not be true for its six Earth-sized siblings
Planetary Science
Volcanic Activity on Mars Upends Red Planet Assumptions
A mass of moving material on Mars called a mantle plume may be causing marsquakes and volcanism
Planetary Science
Volcanoes on Venus? ‘Striking’ Finding Hints at Modern-Day Activity
The discovery highlights a need for future missions after NASA puts one on hold
Planetary Science
Newfound Asteroid May Strike Earth in 2046, NASA Says
Preliminary estimates suggest that a 50-meter space rock called 2023 DW has a roughly one-in-600 chance of colliding with our planet in 23 years
Planetary Science
Mystery of Ancient Space Superstorms Deepens
A fresh analysis of tree-ring data suggests barrages of cosmic radiation that washed over Earth centuries ago may have come from sources besides our sun
Planetary Science
NASA’s Asteroid-Bashing DART Mission Was Wildly Successful
New studies have revealed the spacecraft’s final moments and the remarkable aftermath of its impact
Astronomy
New Space Radar Will Hunt Planet-Threatening Asteroids
The new ngRADAR at the Green Bank Telescope offers unprecedented Earth-based views of the solar system
Astronomy
JWST Heralds a New Dawn for Exoplanet Science
The James Webb Space Telescope is opening an exciting new chapter in the study of exoplanets and the search for life beyond Earth
Planetary Science
Cataclysmic Collisions May Explain ‘Forbidden’ Exoplanets
A new model could explain the scarcity of certain planet sizes
Energy
Scientists Fire Lasers at the Sky to Control Lightning
Laser beams could be used to deflect lightning strikes from vulnerable places such as airports and wind farms
Planetary Science
NASA Asteroid Threat Practice Drill Shows We’re Not Ready
A trial of how government, NASA and local officials would deal with a space rock headed toward Earth revealed gaps in the plans
