Scientists connect the dots between where planets form and what they’re made of. An international…
Browsing: Planets
Planets are celestial bodies that orbit stars, formed from the gas and dust of young solar systems. They come in a wide variety—from rocky worlds like Earth and Mars to gas giants like Jupiter and ice giants like Neptune. Studying planets helps scientists understand how solar systems form and evolve, including the conditions that might support life. This field includes both planets in our own solar system and exoplanets, planets orbiting stars beyond the Sun, discovered by powerful telescopes and space missions. This page features the latest research and discoveries about planets, their atmospheres, surfaces, and potential habitability.
ESA’s ExoMars Orbiter imaged Cerberus Fossae in Mars’ Elysium Planitia—long fissures filled with basaltic sands.…
Scientists using ALMA discovered abundant complex organic molecules in planet-forming disks around young stars, suggesting…
New high-resolution observations clearly show a moon-forming region around exoplanet PDS 70c. The observations have…
The rocks it has analyzed for sample collection are helping the team better understand a…
Jupiter’s unexpectedly hot upper atmosphere is caused by its intense auroras, which distribute heat globally,…
The rock core is now enclosed in an airtight titanium sample tube, and will be…
Researchers led by Osaka University and NASA find that the distribution of cold planets in…
Refined predictions bring astronomers closer than ever to finally spotting—or dismissing—the elusive Planet 9. There…
NASA’s Perseverance rover is retrying its mission-critical task of collecting Martian rock after its first…
Kevin Heng’s new phase curve equations revolutionize how astronomers study reflected light from planets, making…
Martian dust storms heat the atmosphere, push water vapor sky-high, and expose it to UV…
Weizmann Institute scientists reveal how gigantic cyclones remain stable at both of Jupiter’s poles. Until…
Perseverance Scientists impressed with aerial images of location considered for rover exploration. Ask any space…
New “Hycean” planets may hold life and are easier to study than Earth-like worlds. A…
ESA’s CHEOPS satellite found a rare, long-period transiting planet—Nu2 Lupi d—ideal for future exoplanet research. The…
NASA’s Dawn mission revealed water ice beneath Ceres’ Occator crater, suggesting a long-lived, ice-rich crust…
A new video rings in the rover’s ninth year on Mars, letting viewers tour Curiosity’s…