Planets
Saturn's Rings Will Temporarily Disappear From View in 2025
From Earth’s perspective, we’ll be looking at the gas giant’s rings edge-on, making them nearly impossible to see
How to See NASA's Bennu Asteroid Sample in Person
A tiny piece of the space rock made its public debut at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, as scientists study the rest of the sample
Mysterious Lumps in Earth's Mantle May Be Remains of the Crash That Formed the Moon
Chunks of a protoplanet called Theia became lodged within Earth after the two worlds smashed together, new computer simulations suggest
A Supervolcano on Pluto May Have Spewed Ice Just a Few Million Years Ago
An unusual crater on the dwarf planet hints at past volcanic activity—and a possible vast ocean beneath its surface, scientists say
Mars' Core May Be Smaller Than Thought, Wrapped in a Sea of Molten Rock
Based on seismic waves from a meteorite impact, two teams of scientists suggest the Red Planet has another layer deep beneath its surface
New 'Little Prince' Statue Sits Near Central Park and Gazes Up at the Stars
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote and illustrated much of the beloved novella while living in the city in the 1940s
A Sample of Ancient Asteroid Dust Has Landed Safely on Earth
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission retrieved bits of rock and dust from the asteroid Bennu, which could help scientists uncover the origins of life on our planet
What Would Signal Life on Another Planet?
Astronomers have long debated what kind of chemistry might serve as a bona fide alien biosignature
This Exoplanet May Be a Distant Ocean World, James Webb Telescope Finds
The observatory detected evidence of methane and carbon dioxide—and tentatively observed a molecule that, on Earth, is only made by living things
Mud Cracks on Mars Hint at Conditions That Could Have Formed Life Long Ago
Hexagonal ridges on the Red Planet's surface suggest an ancient cycle of wet and dry periods, ideal for creating molecules necessary for cells
This Mirror-Like Exoplanet Is the Most Reflective Ever Discovered
The ultra-hot world is wreathed in metallic clouds that prevent the planet from evaporating and keep its atmosphere intact
See the James Webb Telescope's First Image of Saturn and Its Rings
The new shot also features three of the planet's many moons, including Enceladus, a strong candidate for hosting life
These National Parks Are Hosting Stargazing Festivals in 2023
As more areas grow brighter with light pollution, national parks across the country have become dark-sky havens
Newly Discovered Exoplanet May Be Covered in Volcanoes
Astronomers found an Earth-sized world that could have liquid water on its surface and may be able to support life
James Webb Telescope Reveals Asteroid Belts Around Nearby Young Star
The findings suggest the star Fomalhaut may have orbiting planets hidden among its rings of debris
In a First, Scientists Witness a Dying Star Swallowing a Planet
Astronomers believe the doomed world was a gas giant about the size of Jupiter
James Webb Telescope Captures Detailed Image of Uranus’ Rings
The high-tech observatory also observed two storm clouds on the planet, a polar cap, six moons and distant galaxies
How to Watch Five Planets Align in the Night Sky This Week
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will appear as if in a parade in the Western sky on Tuesday
James Webb Telescope Spots Raging Dust Storms on an Exoplanet
The far-off world also has signs of water, methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide
Scientists Spot Recent Volcanic Activity on Venus
The findings in 30-year-old radar image data all but confirm that volcanoes on Earth’s hellish sister planet are still active today
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