Planetary Science

Earth

Dino-dooming asteroid impact created a chilling sulfur cloud

The Chicxulub impact spewed more sulfur than previously believed.

Astronomy

An interstellar asteroid might have just been spotted for the first time

A newly spotted asteroid might be the first known to come from outside the solar system, and it could carry information about the makeup of alien planet systems.

Astronomy

Dawn spacecraft will keep orbiting the dwarf planet Ceres indefinitely

NASA just gave the Dawn spacecraft a second mission extension to orbit Ceres indefinitely.

Astronomy

Here’s what space toilets can teach us about finding signs of alien life

Lessons learned from flushing space toilets can help researchers plan life-hunting missions to icy moons.

Astronomy

Oddball dwarf planet Haumea has a ring

The dwarf planet Haumea is now the most distant ringed object spotted in the solar system.

Astronomy

Why it’s good news that Pluto doesn’t have rings

The New Horizons team searched for rings around Pluto, and found nothing. That suggests the spacecraft’s next destination might be ring-free too.

Astronomy

How a meteor shower helped solve the case of the vanishing comet

A missing comet has been linked to a long-lost meteor shower, helping astronomers recover both.

Astronomy

New questions about Arecibo’s future swirl in the wake of Hurricane Maria

The iconic Arecibo Observatory was damaged in Hurricane Maria, but not as much as originally thought. But its funding is still in doubt.

Astronomy

Ice in space might flow like honey and bubble like champagne

Zapping simulated space ice with imitation starlight makes the ice act more like a liquid than a solid, meaning similar ices in space might be good places for organic chemistry.

Astronomy

R.I.P. Cassini

After 20 years, nearly 300 orbits and pioneering discoveries, the Cassini spacecraft plunges to its death in Saturn’s atmosphere — taking data until its very last breath.

Astronomy

These are Cassini’s parting shots of the Saturn system

In its last hours before plunging into Saturn’s atmosphere, the Cassini spacecraft turned its cameras to some of the system’s well-known features.

Planetary Science

The Cassini probe dies tomorrow. Here’s how to follow its end

Science News is on the scene at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the big finish of the Cassini mission to Saturn.