Scientists using NASA’s Curiosity rover have discovered siderite—an iron carbonate—in the sulfate-rich rocks of Gale…
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.
Oxford researchers have unearthed a cosmic surprise showing that the hydrogen needed for water was…
A bizarre hailstorm of icy “mushballs” — slushy mixtures of ammonia and water — has…
A treasure trove of clues from Curiosity reveals that ancient Mars once trapped massive amounts…
Mars’ magnetic mystery may finally have a solution—scientists now think the Red Planet’s ancient magnetic…
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have discovered a truly bizarre planet — one that…
Perseverance just stumbled upon one of Mars’ weirdest rocks yet—a formation covered in dark, spherical…
Uranus Findings Can Aid the Study of Exoplanets Now more than 30 years into its…
In an experiment simulating harsh Martian conditions, including X-ray radiation, scientists discovered that certain lichens…
Even if no life is found on other planets, smart survey design and careful statistics…
On Mars, swirling columns of dust—known as dust devils—regularly roam the landscape, sometimes colliding in…
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of four rocky planets orbiting Barnard’s Star, our nearest solitary…
Venus may be far more geologically alive than anyone expected. New research suggests its outer…
Jupiter got body-slammed by the solar wind, and scientists have finally caught it in action.…
What if water and hydrogen don’t stay separated inside planets like Earth and Neptune? New…
Young, close-orbiting exoplanets known as sub-Neptunes may form farther from their stars and migrate inward…
Astronomers discover a super-Earth and a sub-Neptune 250 light years away from our solar system.…
A decades-old cosmic mystery may finally be solved. Scientists now suspect that the strange X-ray…