Planet news, features and articles
Live Science keeps you up-to-date with the amazing discoveries astronomers are making about the planets in our universe, from Earth and its solar system sisters to distant exoplanets thousands of light-years away.
Our expert writers and editors report on the discovery of planets more hospitable to life than Earth, research suggesting an unknown "captured" alien planet may be hiding at the edge of our solar system, why the jury is still out on Planet Nine, and even what color the sunset is on other planets. So, whatever your cosmic curiosities, there's sure to be something that captivates you in the latest planet news, features and articles.
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Latest about Planets
Nearby exoplanet has grown a tail 44 times longer than Earth — and it's acting like a giant 'stellar windsock'
By Harry Baker published
Researchers have detected a giant tail of gas leaking from an exoplanet near Earth. The giant structure, which is up to 350,000 miles long, is being blown away from the alien world by stellar gusts, allowing researchers to use it like a windsock.
China aims to be 1st to bring samples back from Mars
By Stephanie Pappas published
China's planned mission to bring rock samples to Earth from Mars would beat both NASA and the European Space Agency to the punch.
New thunderstorms wider than Earth are spewing out green lightning on Jupiter — and could make one of the gas giant's massive bands disappear
By Harry Baker published
A pair of massive thunderstorms have been spotted swirling in Jupiter's "South Equatorial Belt" and are likely unleashing massive bolts of green lightning. Some experts think the pale clouds could end up altering the rusty band's color — and potentially even making it "disappear."
Did Venus ever have oceans to support life, or was it 'born hot'?
By Robert Lea published
"We would have loved to find that Venus was once a planet much closer to our own, so it’s kind of sad in a way to find out that it wasn't."
Did alien life exist in hot water on Mars billions of years ago?
By Robert Lea published
Was alien life in "hot water" on Mars billions of years ago? New evidence from the Martian meteorite "Black Beauty" suggests so.
Gigantic 'spiderwebs' on Mars are the next big target for NASA's Curiosity rover, agency reveals
By Harry Baker published
Curiosity has just finished the latest leg of its 12-year Mars mission and will now set out to explore miles of web-like surface features left behind by ancient water on the Red Planet. The zig-zagging rocks could also provide clues about whether Mars once harbored extraterrestrial life.
'Baby' exoplanet, equivalent to 2-week-old infant, is the youngest alien world ever spotted — and it's orbiting a wonky star
By Harry Baker published
A new study has identified an exoplanet that is just 3 million years old — around 1,500 times younger than Earth — alongside a misaligned protoplanetary disk that researchers cannot explain.
China's Mars rover Zhurong finds possible shoreline of ancient Red Planet ocean
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Data from China's Zhurong rover has revealed what appears to be an ancient shoreline streaking through Mars' northern hemisphere.
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