Astronomers Discover A New Class of Super-Earths
Researchers at the Universities of Zurich and Cambridge have discovered a new, exotic class of planets outside our solar system. These super-Earths were formed at…
Planetary Science
Scientists View Adolescent Star Undergoing a ‘Growth Spurt’
Astronomers have discovered a young star undergoing a rare growth spurt – giving a fascinating glimpse into the development of these distant stellar objects. A…
Astronomers Discover A New Neptune-Size Exoplanet, K2-263 b
The remarkable exoplanet discoveries made by the Kepler and K2 missions have enabled astronomers to begin to piece together the history of the Earth and…
NASA Reveals Saturn Is Losing Its Rings At Maximum Estimated Rate
New NASA research confirms that Saturn is losing its iconic rings at the maximum rate estimated from Voyager 1 & 2 observations made decades ago….
Astronomers Discover Most-Distant Object Ever Observed In Our Solar System
A team of astronomers has discovered the most-distant body ever observed in our Solar System. It is the first known Solar System object that has…
Hubble Discovers Fast Evaporating Warm Neptune Exoplanet GJ 3470b
Fishermen would be puzzled if they netted only big and little fish, but few medium-sized fish. Astronomers likewise have been perplexed in conducting a census…
HiRISE Views InSight Lander on the Martian Surface
On November 26, NASA’s InSight mission knew the spacecraft touched down within an 81-mile-long (130-kilometer-long) landing ellipse on Mars. Now, the team has pinpointed InSight’s…
ALMA Provides Unprecedented Views of the Birth of Planets
Astronomers have cataloged nearly 4,000 exoplanets in orbit around distant stars. Though the discovery of these newfound worlds has taught us much, there is still…
Juno Mission Hits Halfway Point in Data Collection
On Dec. 21, at 8:49:48 a.m. PST (11:49:48 a.m. EST) NASA’s Juno spacecraft will be 3,140 miles (5,053 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops and hurtling…
Astronomers Discover Helium Exoplanet in the Cygnus Constellation
Astronomers have discovered a distant planet with an abundance of helium in its atmosphere, which has swollen to resemble an inflated balloon. An international team…
Scientists Find Nebular Gases Preserved in Deep-Mantle Neon
The Earth formed relatively quickly from the cloud of dust and gas around the sun, trapping water and gases in the planet’s mantle, according to…
How the Martian Moon Phobos Got Its Strange Grooves
A new study bolsters the idea that strange grooves crisscrossing the surface of the Martian moon Phobos were made by rolling boulders blasted free from…
NASA InSight Safely Lands on Martian Surface, Ready to Discover What Lies Beneath
Mars has just received its newest robotic resident. NASA’s Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) lander successfully touched down on the…
How Scientists Will Know When InSight Touches Down on Mars
What’s the sound of a touchdown on Mars? If you’re at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it sounds like winning the Super Bowl: cheers, laughter and…
What NASA’s InSight Can Teach Scientists About Life
Mars and Earth are like two siblings who have grown apart. There was a time when their resemblance was uncanny: Both were warm, wet and…
New Climate Models of Small Star TRAPPIST 1’s Seven Worlds
Not all stars are like the sun, so not all planetary systems can be studied with the same expectations. New research from a University of…
NASA InSight Mission on Course for Mars Landing
NASA’s Mars Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) spacecraft is on track for a soft touchdown on the surface of the…
NASA Selects Jezero Crater Landing Site for Mars 2020 Rover
NASA has chosen Jezero Crater as the landing site for its upcoming Mars 2020 rover mission after a five year search, during which every available…