Planets
Explore Planets
Latest about Planets
![The Sun, followed by Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/B8ypgZ9gvzWJmRbu3nRSGa-320-80.jpg)
Have all 8 planets ever aligned?
By Charles Q. Choi published
The solar system's eight planets will never truly be in a straight line, but they can get close to it.
![Annotated image of Mars with markings and text showing the equator, the newly-discovered volcano, volcanoes in the Tharsis region, as well as the Noctis Labyrinthus and Valles Marineris regions](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ra6dRtgPEr8NUCxKhEq7W5-320-80.jpg)
Gargantuan volcano on Mars found hidden 'in plain sight,' and it could hold potential signs of life
By Emily Cooke published
A newly discovered volcano near Mars' "Labyrinth of Night" could be a "prime" spot to search for life on the Red Planet, scientists say.
![NASA's Curiosity Mars rover appears as a dark speck in this image captured from directly overhead by the agency's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, or MRO.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/V8AK6XmsRjZXKGnBoBeKq-320-80.jpg)
Space photo of the week: Can you spot the hidden robot on the slopes of Mars?
By Jamie Carter published
NASA's Mars Curiosity rover hides in plain sight in this aerial photo of the treacherous Martian landscape.
![Europa surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/izzbXAW2HFvDAMECedJz2B-320-80.jpg)
Jupiter's moon Europa lacks oxygen, making it less hospitable for sustaining life
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Data compiled from NASA's Juno mission shows that Europa, Jupiter's ice-covered moon, severely lacks oxygen.
![An artists intepretation of Planet Nine shows a large dark planet with the sun in the distance](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JpgxRtvMNUm6hVH8Wom2NS-320-80.jpg)
Astronomers narrow down where 'Planet Nine' could be hiding by playing massive game of 'connect the dots'
By Harry Baker published
The researchers who originally proposed the Planet Nine hypothesis have narrowed down where the giant elusive world might be hiding, after carrying out an exhaustive sweep of the theoretical planet's orbital pathway.
![Astronauts.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qApJeZsGuU9prGibHW6DuV-320-80.jpg)
Mars-bound astronauts will face incredible stress. Here's how we can prepare them to make history.
By Nick Kanas published
Traveling to Mars will involve close quarters for more than two years. Here's how astronauts can deal with the stress of those conditions.
![The six planets orbit their central star HD 110067 in a harmonic rhythm with planets aligning every few orbits.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fdQkR2SvYLYXGe9D4hPSRH-320-80.jpg)
'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien technology
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A distant star system housing 6 planets that move in 'mathematically perfect' orbits has ignited a search for possible alien technosignatures.
![The final images of ERS-2 tumbling through the sky. They were captured by the Tracking and Imaging Radar (TIRA) at the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR in Germany.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BQp6cumiNSLxzqsX3kurbM-320-80.gif)
Radar images show Europe's doomed ERS-2 satellite buckle and burn during final orbits of Earth
By Andrew Jones published
New radar images show surprise changes to the doomed ERS-2 spacecraft as it tumbled through Earth's atmosphere on Feb. 21.
![An illustration of Neptune and some of its moons with Uranus and the sun in the background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7MaFVkD87Y67PK23Gy6wMj-320-80.jpg)
3 new moons discovered around Uranus and Neptune will be named after Shakespeare characters and Greek goddesses
By Harry Baker published
The International Astronomical Union has confirmed the existence of three currently unnamed moons — one around Uranus and two orbiting Neptune.
![An illustration of what Eris may look like](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8ENh8uDV2JPMRs3EbHkfCC-320-80.jpg)
James Webb telescope spots potential conditions for life on 2 dwarf planets beyond Neptune
By Harry Baker published
Data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope shows that, like Pluto, the dwarf planets Eris and Makemake could be geologically active, which changes what we know about their chances of harboring life.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.