Long Divisions – New Cassini Image of Saturn and Mimas
This newly released image form the Cassini Spacecraft shows Saturn and Mimas. The shadow of Saturn on the rings, which stretched across all of the…
Planetary Science News
Astronomers Reveal Fluctuating Atmosphere of Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Io
A newly published study from NASA reveals that Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io has a thin atmosphere that collapses in the shadow of Jupiter, condensing as…
Is Life on Earth Premature from a Cosmic Perspective?
New research from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics examines the possibility that present-day life is actually premature from a cosmic perspective. The universe is 13.8…
Mars Orbiter Shows Gullies on Mars Not Likely Formed by Liquid Water
Using data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, astronomers show that gullies on modern Mars are likely not being formed by flowing liquid water. This new…
Researchers Investigate the Lack of Large Impact Craters on Ceres
Ceres’ lack of giant impact basins presents a puzzle to scientists. They expected to observe more large craters on the dwarf planet than have been…
New View of Saturn’s A and F Rings
The Cassini Spacecraft gives us another interesting view of Saturn. Saturn’s A and F rings appear bizarrely warped where they intersect the planet’s limb, whose…
Cassini Image Shows Saturn’s Rings with Dione and Epimetheus
This newly released Cassini image shows Saturn’s rings with Dione and Epimetheus off in the distance. Saturn’s main rings, along with its moons, are much…
NASA’s Top 10 Pluto Pics from the New Horizons Spacecraft
One year ago, NASA’s New Horizons mission made history by exploring Pluto and its moons – giving humankind our first real look at this fascinating…
Kepler Shows Warm Jupiters Not As Lonely As Expected
Astronomers have used data from the Kepler Space Telescope to give the clearest understanding yet of a class of exoplanets called Warm Jupiters, revealing that…
First In-orbit View from NASA’s Juno Spacecraft
The first high-resolution images of Jupiter are still several weeks away, but NASA’s Juno Spacecraft did capture this new image as it entered orbit around…
New Cassini Image – Tethys Tops Saturn
This newly released Cassini image provides an illusion of perspective, showing Saturn’s moon Tethys above the planet’s north pole. Tethys (660 miles or 1,062 kilometers…
New Study Adds Clues about Possible Water in Mars Canyons
A newly published study reveals clues about possible water at seasonally dark streaks on Mars. The study investigated thousands of these warm-season features in the…
NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft Maps Ceres Craters Where Ice Can Accumulate
Using data from NASA’s Dawn Mission, astronomers have identified permanently shadowed regions on the dwarf planet Ceres. These areas are likely cold enough to have…
Astronomers Discover a Planet in a Triple Star System
Using direct imaging, a team of astronomers has discovered a young Jovian exoplanet within a triple-star system. If you thought Luke Skywalker’s home planet, Tatooine,…
Juno Spacecraft in Orbit Around Jupiter
NASA received confirmation that the Juno spacecraft successfully entered Jupiter’s orbit on July 4th. “Independence Day always is something to celebrate, but today we can…
Recent Hydrothermal Activity May Explain Ceres’ Mysterious Bright Spots
New research reveals that the Occator Crater on Ceres has the highest concentration of carbonate minerals ever seen outside Earth. The brightest area on Ceres,…
NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft Completes Primary Mission
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft completes its primary mission, exceeding all expectations. On June 30, just in time for the global celebration known as Asteroid Day, NASA’s…
Hubble Telescope Views Vivid Auroras in Jupiter’s Atmosphere
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers view vivid auroras on the poles of Jupiter. Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is best known…