Planetary Science

  1. Planetary Science

    New moons for Neptune?

    Astronomers say they have discovered three additional moons circling Neptune.

    By Ron Cowen
  2. Planetary Science

    Martian leaks: Hints of present-day water

    In some of the coldest regions on Mars, water appears to have recently gushed from just beneath the surface, running down crater walls and steep valleys.

    By Ron Cowen
  3. Planetary Science

    Mars reveals more frozen water

    Planetary scientists have discovered ice near the edge of Mars' south polar cap.

    By Ron Cowen
  4. Planetary Science

    Fresh crater found on lunar images

    Scientists analyzing images of the moon's surface taken from lunar orbit believe they've identified the crater that formed when a small asteroid slammed into the moon almost 5 decades ago.

    By Sid Perkins
  5. Planetary Science

    Fresh crater found on lunar images

    Scientists analyzing images of the moon's surface taken from lunar orbit believe they've identified the crater that formed when a small asteroid slammed into the moon almost 5 decades ago.

    By Sid Perkins
  6. Planetary Science

    Martian History: Weathering a new notion

    Researchers suggest that intermittent impacts by huge asteroids and comets some 3.5 billion years ago profoundly influenced the landscape of Mars.

    By Ron Cowen
  7. Planetary Science

    X rays reveal Eros’ primitive nature

    Aided by a blast of X rays from the sun, a spacecraft orbiting the near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros has gathered preliminary evidence that the rock is a primitive relic, apparently unchanged since the birth of the solar system.

    By Ron Cowen
  8. Planetary Science

    Seeing Saturn

    After 5 years of interplanetary travel, the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft has taken its first picture of the ringed planet.

    By Ron Cowen
  9. Planetary Science

    Martian Radiation: Giving off a faint X-ray glow

    Astronomers have for the first time taken an X-ray image of the Red Planet.

    By Ron Cowen
  10. Planetary Science

    Leapin’ Lava! Volcanic eruption on Io breaks the record

    Pointing a ground-based telescope at Jupiter's moon Io, astronomers have recorded the most powerful volcano ever observed in the solar system.

    By Ron Cowen
  11. Planetary Science

    Europa’s freckles

    Reddish spots and shallow pits that pepper the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa may mark regions where warmer and less dense ice percolates to the surface.

    By Ron Cowen
  12. Planetary Science

    Another moon for Uranus

    Astronomers have confirmed the existence of the 21st moon known to be orbiting Uranus.

    By Ron Cowen