Space
Saturn’s auroras may explain the planet’s weirdly hot upper atmosphere
Data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft could help solve Saturn’s mysterious “energy crisis.”
Planetary Science
More Stories in Planetary Science
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Planetary ScienceCoronavirus and technical issues delay a Mars mission’s launch
The joint European-Russian ExoMars rover’s launch was postponed from July to 2022 so technicians could resolve issues with the landing equipment.
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AstronomyHeavy metal may rain from the skies of planet WASP 76b
Astronomers saw hints of iron rain on an ultrahot gas giant, an exoplanet where starlike atmospheric temperatures drive weird weather.
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Planetary ScienceSome ‘superpuff’ exoplanets may actually be ringed worlds like Saturn
“Superpuff” planets look fluffy and light. But for some of the worlds, the effect could instead be explained by large, rocky rings, a study suggests.
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Planetary ScienceMeet Perseverance, NASA’s newest Mars rover
NASA’s next Mars rover will be called Perseverance.
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Planetary ScienceAn ancient magma ocean may have once driven Earth’s magnetic field
Computer simulations of molten silicate under extreme temperatures and pressures may have just filled in a gap in the history of Earth’s magnetism.
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Space50 years ago, scientists were studying why the sun’s corona is so hot
In 1970, scientists were hoping to learn why the sun’s corona is so hot during an eclipse. Fifty years later, the corona’s magnetic field may hold some answers.
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Planetary ScienceChina’s moon rover revealed what lies beneath the lunar farside
China’s Yutu-2 rover found layers of fine sand and coarse gravel under the surface of the moon’s farside.
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SpaceWhat NASA’s InSight lander has learned about Mars’ magnetism and quakes
In its first 10 months, the InSight lander detected Marsquakes and an unexpectedly strong magnetic field at its landing site on the Red Planet.
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SpacePhosphorus, a key ingredient of life, has been found in a newborn star system
Astrochemists map phosphorus-bearing molecules in a star-forming cloud, giving clues to how this vital element may have arrived on Earth.