Planetary Science
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Planetary Science
Debate over life in Mars rock rekindles
Two recent studies could inject new life into the argument that a 4-billion-year-old Martian meteorite contains fossils of bacteria from the Red Planet but several scientists say the reports fall short of resurrecting that notion.
By Ron Cowen -
Planetary Science
Images suggest icy eruptions on Ganymede
New stereo images of Ganymede, the solar system's largest satellite, suggest that eruptions of water or slushy ice a billion or more years ago gave parts of the moon a facelift, creating long, flat bands of nearly pure water-ice.
By Ron Cowen -
Planetary Science
Happy landing: Craft descends onto Eros
On Feb. 12, NEAR Shoemaker became the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid, the space rock 433 Eros.
By Ron Cowen -
Planetary Science
Stormy Weather
The 11-year cycle of solar storms has begun to peak, already affecting several Earth satellites and disturbing electric power systems on the ground, and scientists expect 2 more years of this solar maximum turmoil.
By Ron Cowen