Planetary Science

More Stories in Planetary Science

  1. A photo of the Martian landscape with part of the Perseverance rover in the foreground
    Planetary Science

    See some of the most intriguing photos from NASA’s Perseverance rover so far

    Six months ago, Perseverance landed on the Red Planet. Here’s what the rover has been observing.

    By Lisa Grossman
  2. illustration of magnetic fields moving charged particles to Jupiter's poles where auroras form
    Space

    Jupiter’s intense auroras superheat its upper atmosphere

    Jupiter’s hotter-than-expected upper atmosphere may be caused by high-speed charged particles slamming into the air high above the poles.

    By Sid Perkins
  3. star PDS 70 surrounded by dusty ring of debris, with bright dot inside ring that may be a moon forming
    Astronomy

    The tiny dot in this image may be the first look at exomoons in the making

    New ALMA observations offer some of the strongest evidence yet that planets around other stars have moons.

    By Maria Temming
  4. image of InSight Lander on Mars
    Planetary Science

    Marsquakes reveal the Red Planet boasts a liquid core half its diameter

    Analyses of seismic waves picked up by NASA’s InSight lander shed new light on the planet’s core and give clues to the thickness of the crust.

    By Sid Perkins
  5. image of Perseverance rover's robotic arm
    Planetary Science

    NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has begun its first science campaign

    Now about 1 kilometer south of its landing spot, the rover has spotted several promising spots in its search for hints of ancient life.

    By Christopher Crockett
  6. image of stars in the constellation Carina
    Planetary Science

    A century of astronomy revealed Earth’s place in the universe

    The past century of astronomy has been a series of revolutions, each one kicking Earth a bit farther to the margins.

    By Lisa Grossman
  7. south pole of Mars
    Planetary Science

    Lakes of liquid water at Mars’ southern ice cap may just be mirages

    In 2018, scientists found evidence for water lakes sitting beneath the southern Martian ice cap. New evidence suggests the lakes might not exist.

    By Adam Mann
  8. the planet Jupiter
    Astronomy

    A shadowy birthplace may explain Jupiter’s strange chemistry

    Dust that blocked sunlight caused the giant planet to form in a deep freeze, a new study suggests.

    By Ken Croswell
  9. NASA's orbiter VERITAS
    Planetary Science

    NASA will be heading back to Venus for the first time in decades

    Two newly selected missions, VERITAS and DAVINCI+, will explore the history of the planet's water and habitability.

    By Lisa Grossman