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![Artist illustration](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GAMFCd4eEc3Catae48tCGf-320-80.jpg)
Jupiter may be the reason why Earth has a moon, new study hints
By Keith Cooper published
The great planetary instability, which saw Jupiter and the other gas giants wander chaotically through the solar system, coincides with the collision that formed Earth's moon. Could the two events be linked?
![Mars' Inca City formation (left) is overrun with mounds of black 'spiders' (right), a regular springtime phenomenon on the Red Planet](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vK7VvWQ9ZUxkkjohyc7Wjb-320-80.jpg)
Hundreds of black 'spiders' spotted in mysterious 'Inca City' on Mars in new satellite photos
By Stephanie Pappas published
Every spring, creepy black 'spiders' sprout up on Mars as buried carbon dioxide ice releases dusty geysers of gas. New ESA images show the phenomenon has begun in the strange Inca City formation.
![A visualization of the glass lava lake spotted on Jupiter's volcanic moon Io](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GS5L3MJsXHo6mguKfPaita-320-80.jpg)
NASA reveals 'glass-smooth lake of cooling lava' on surface of Jupiter's moon Io
By Stephanie Pappas published
The volcanic surface of Jupiter's huge moon Io got a stunning close-up thanks to NASA's Juno mission.
![An artist's depiction of the BepiColombo mission flying past Venus.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RVSWkfc3JfYgeWYU6iCNYk-320-80.jpg)
Venus is leaking carbon and oxygen, and scientists aren't totally sure why
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Observations of Venus taken with the BepiColombo space probe show that our cosmic neighbor is leaking significant amounts of carbon and oxygen from its atmosphere, and researchers can't totally explain why.
![Artist's conception of the vehicles that would participate in a Mars sample return campaign by NASA and the European Space Agency.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9NYSDGiYoYEd49Wsn5ZoPn-320-80.jpg)
NASA Mars samples, which could contain evidence of life, will not return to Earth as initially planned
By Mike Wall published
NASA's plan to retrieve as many as 30 geological samples from Mars is getting a major rewrite, agency officials said on Monday. The initial plan, which would not return the samples to Earth until 2040, was deemed "too expensive" and "unacceptably too long."
![A heart-shaped 'splat' on Pluto's surface has captivated scientists for nearly a decade. New simulations finally reveal where it may have come from.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wBveVPB68eB5aEcwNyWFuK-320-80.jpg)
Pluto's huge white 'heart' has a surprisingly violent origin, new study suggests
By Stephanie Pappas published
Tombaugh Regio — the large, pale heart that dominates Pluto's terrain — is made of nitrogen ice that accumulated after a huge, slow-motion impact, new research suggests.
![Exoplanet WASP-76b.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aAMgFMRWteqiMbF96FtB8c-320-80.jpg)
Strange light spotted over distant 'hell planet' may be 1st rainbow 'glory' found beyond our solar system
By Harry Baker published
New data suggest that exoplanet WASP-76 b could harbor a massive, rainbow-colored light show known as a "glory." Until now, this phenomenon has been seen only within our solar system.
![Uranus.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WJiPjZ5gKsrcUq72psaZ6V-320-80.jpg)
Uranus and Neptune aren't made of what we thought, new study hints
By Deepa Jain published
A study suggests the ice giants Uranus and Neptune aren't quite as watery as previously thought. They may also contain huge amounts of frozen methane, potentially solving the puzzle of how they formed.
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