Planets

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Scientists may finally understand why large alien planets keep turning into 'super-Earths'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
New research finds that certain large exoplanets are shrinking due to internal processes, creating an abundance of rocky 'super-Earths'.

NASA is pausing all Mars missions, effective immediately. Here's why.
By Robert Lea published
The Red Planet has reached solar conjunction as its orbit takes it to the far side of the sun and out of sight. NASA's Mars robots are on their own until Nov. 25.

James Webb telescope detects 'fluffy' alien planet that rains sand
By Conor Feehly published
Clouds of silicate sand exist high in exoplanet WASP-107b's atmosphere, new James Webb Space Telescope observations reveal.

Astronauts on Mars may see a green sky, eerie new study suggests
By Stefanie Waldek published
Scientists just observed Mars' eerie green nightglow in the visible light spectrum for the very first time.

Oxygen detected in Venus' hellish atmosphere
By Joanna Thompson published
In a first, researchers discovered oxygen atoms on the dayside and nightside of Venus' atmosphere.

The oldest continents in the Milky Way may be 5 billion years older than Earth's
By Briley Lewis published
Several exoplanets at the edge of our galaxy could have formed continents — and advanced life — 5 billion years earlier than Earth, new research suggests.

Pluto may have an ice-spewing 'supervolcano' the size of Yellowstone, New Horizons data reveals
By Briley Lewis published
Kiladze Caldera, formerly called Kiladze crater, may be a supervolcano that erupted fairly recently, spewing ice across the surface of Pluto.

NASA finds organic compounds seeping up from hidden ocean on Jupiter's icy moon Ganymede
By Brett Tingley published
Ganymede, one of the largest moons in the solar system, possesses a salty subsurface ocean that may contain organic compounds, new research finds.
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