The Kepler mission and its extension, called K2, discovered thousands of exoplanets. It detected them…
Browsing: Planetary Science
Planetary science is the interdisciplinary study of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other bodies in our solar system and beyond. It explores their composition, formation, atmospheres, geology, and potential for life—linking astronomy, geology, physics, and chemistry to understand planetary processes. Researchers use spacecraft missions, telescopes, and laboratory simulations to study worlds like Mars, Venus, and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, uncovering clues about Earth’s origins and the dynamics of planetary systems. From analyzing meteorites to exploring exoplanets, planetary science seeks to answer fundamental questions about the diversity, evolution, and habitability of worlds across the universe.
Dust is a critical component in the Martian atmosphere. It influences the atmosphere’s circulation by…
The Solar System’s second largest planet both in mass and size, Saturn is best known…
A Neptunian planet has been found in what should be a ‘Neptunian Desert’ by telescopes…
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), the Georg August University…
Ashfall from ancient volcanic explosions is the likely source of a strange mineral deposit near…
Computer simulations provide compelling evidence that an insulating layer of gas hydrates could keep a…
NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter made the first definitive detection beyond our world of an…
Small, hardy planets packed with dense elements have the best chance of avoiding being crushed…
The Moon is shrinking as its interior cools, getting more than about 150 feet (50…
For the first time, NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter has caught the Martian moon Phobos during…
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) – NASA’s first mission to demonstrate a planetary defense…
Observers watching January’s total eclipse of the Moon saw a rare event, a short-lived flash…
For more than a century, scientists have squabbled over how the Earth’s moon formed. But…
This final traverse map for NASA’s Opportunity rover shows where the rover was located within…
Cerberus Fossae is a steep-sided set of troughs cutting volcanic plains to the east of…
On its final flyby of Saturn’s largest moon in 2017, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft gathered radar…
The closest exoplanet to us, if we include only single stars like the Sun, is…