Widespread Megaripple Activity Detected Across the North Polar Region of Mars
Megaripples, intermediate-scale bedforms caused by the action of the wind, have been studied extensively and thought to be largely inactive relics of past climates, save…
Planetary Science Institute News
Modernizing Planetary Protection: Less Restrictive “Bioburden” Rules Would Make Mars Missions Simpler
A new report that could make it simpler to send spacecraft to some areas of Mars while still protecting the planet from Earth-based contamination was…
Traces of Dwarf Planet Ceres’ Icy Crust Found at Occator Crater
Anomalies in the distribution of hydrogen at Occator crater on the dwarf planet Ceres reveal an icy crust, says a new paper led by Tom…
New Chronology of the Saturn Planetary System
A new chronology for the moons of Saturn has been developed by Planetary Science Institute Associate Research Scientist Samuel W. Bell. “Most studies dating surfaces…
Preserved Billion Year-Old Dune Fields on Mars Offer Insights Into Martian History
The discovery of Martian dune fields largely preserved in the rock record for up to a billion years offers new insights on past climatic conditions…
Simulations Show Planetary Bodies May Have Extremely Low-Density Surfaces
Spacecraft landing on Jupiter’s moon Europa could see the craft sink due to high surface porosity, research by Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Robert Nelson…
Chelyabinsk Meteorite Sheds New Light on Dinosaur Extinction
New measurements on the Chelyabinsk meteorite rule out the possibility for the Baptistina Asteroid Family being the source of the K/T impactor. Tucson, Arizona —…
Scientists Believe Mars Crater Is the Remains of an Ancient Supervolcano
Based on images and topographic data, new research shows that the Eden Patera basin on Mars is a volcanic caldera, not an impact crater. A…