Planets
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aeAft4crYA5txngSoCY5Mn-320-80.jpg)
Find out everything there is to know about planets and stay updated on the latest planet news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and planet images at LiveScience.com. Learn more about space and the solar system as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about planets.
Explore Planets
Latest about Planets
![A photo showing a pile of rocks with yellow crystals inside](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kPcfQGFXtBuvXA624Zb4wa-320-80.jpg)
NASA's Curiosity rover accidentally reveals ultra-rare sulfur crystals after crushing a rock on Mars
By Harry Baker published
NASA's Curiosity rover revealed an 'oasis' of rare elemental sulfur on Mars after accidentally crushing a rock with its tires. The yellow crystals have never been spotted on the Red Planet before.
![A rendered photo of Mercury with rainbow colors across its surface](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ygDyXubaZeVyML3msWUUhK-320-80.jpg)
9 miles of solid diamonds may lurk beneath Mercury's surface, new study finds
By Deepa Jain published
New simulations suggest that a 9-mile-thick layer of diamonds may lurk deep below the surface of Mercury. The gems almost certainly can't be mined for bling — but they may help solve some of the planet's biggest mysteries.
![Image of the planets in our solar system before Pluto was demoted](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GuYEwVMfA8HwScNAHp3rsC-320-80.jpg)
Astronomers want to change how we define a planet — again
By Kristel Tjandra published
Astronomers are proposing a new, more quantitative definition of what makes a planet. The new definition looks more directly at the object's mass — but it would still leave Pluto out of the running.
![four people in black flight suits stand in front of a microphone, with the nasa logo in the background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ttiAHenXC5mTDtbkcCFme7-320-80.jpg)
NASA's 1st year-long mock Mars mission wraps up in Houston
By Mike Wall published
Four volunteers exited a mock Mars habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center on July 6, bringing the agency's first year-long simulated Red Planet mission to an end.
![An artist's rendering comparing the "eyeball planet" to Earth. It is about twice as large and features a circular liquid ocean surrounded by ice.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RERq6qbEfUZacNrzz7R6fa-320-80.jpg)
'Eyeball' planet spied by James Webb telescope might be habitable
By Ben Turner published
Located 50 light-years from Earth, the beady-eyed exoplanet LHS 1140 b could be a perfect candidate for discovering liquid water outside the solar system, new research suggests.
![Artist's interpretation of a blue gas giant exoplanet very close to a sun-like star](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7efPXe8MtsXWAkBGtGNH3m-320-80.jpg)
James Webb telescope reveals rare, 'rotten egg' atmosphere around nearby hell planet
By Harry Baker published
The James Webb Space Telescope revealed that the hot Jupiter exoplanet HD 189733 b, located just 64 light-years from Earth, has an atmosphere full of hydrogen sulfide, meaning it likely smells of rotten eggs.
![A photo collage of hundreds of exoplanets](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vjCKmHmmrC9vfGXG9y6Vi9-320-80.jpg)
Space photo of the week: 900 alien worlds packed into a single image
By Jamie Carter published
Slovakian artist Martin Vargic's spectacular new infographics artistically portray, visualize and compare more than 1,600 planets in other star systems.
![A satellite photo of mars with a massive, curved crack in its surface](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fjoqrL9upgFw7ATkB4ohyV-320-80.jpg)
Grand Canyon-size 'scar' on Mars revealed like never before in striking new satellite photos
By Harry Baker published
New photos from the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter give us our best look yet at a giant ravine on the Red Planet. The dark "scar" was likely birthed by a gigantic blob of magma hidden beneath a massive nearby volcano millions of years ago.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.