Planets

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Illustration of a large blue exoplanet and its distant star against a black sky.

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'.

Exoplanets
NASA's Curiosity rover took this selfie while inside Mars' Gale crater on June 15, 2018, which was the 2,082nd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission.

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.

Mars
Artist's impression of WASP-107b and its parent star, orange, red and yellow gaseous masses in the universe.

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.

Exoplanets
An illustration of rocky terrain on Mars with an eerie green sky in the background

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.

Mars
Hemispheric view of Venus.

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.

Venus
This artist's rendition shows one possible appearance for the planet HD 219134b, the nearest confirmed rocky exoplanet found to date outside our solar system. The planet is 1.6 times the size of Earth, and whips around its star in just three days. Scientists predict that the scorching-hot planet -- known to be rocky through measurements of its mass and size -- would have a rocky, partially molten surface with geological activity, including possibly volcanoes.

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.

Exoplanets
Pluto's bladed terrain as seen from NASA's New Horizons during its July 2015 flyby.

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.

Pluto
This enhanced image of the Jovian moon Ganymede was obtained by the JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft during the mission's June 7, 2021, flyby of the icy moon on Juno's 34th pass close to Jupiter.

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.

Jupiter
The swirling clouds of Jupiter forming a face

Eerie 'face' haunts Jupiter in creepy photo from NASA's Juno probe

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Jupiter's swirling clouds form an eerie image that resembles a face.

Jupiter
Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) have discovered a high-speed jet stream sitting over Jupiter’s equator, above the main cloud decks. At a wavelength of 2.12 microns, which observes between altitudes of about 12-21 miles (20-35 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops, researchers spotted several wind shears, or areas where wind speeds change with height or with distance, which enabled them to track the jet.

James Webb telescope spots enormous jet stream faster than a Category 5 hurricane on Jupiter

By Monisha Ravisetti published

New observations with the James Webb Space Telescope reveal a never-before-seen jet stream near Jupiter's equator moving twice as fast as a Category 5 hurricane.

Jupiter
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