Planetary Close-Up Reveals Pluto "Snakeskin"
Intriguing ridges add to dwarf planet's geologic mysteries
Stories by Alexandra Witze
Dark Matter Experiment on Space Station Hits a Glitch
An Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer cooling-pump failure raises questions about the instrument's longevity
Earth's Ancient Magnetic Field Just Got a Lot Older
Early magnetism could have helped create conditions to support life
New Horizons Finds Nitrogen Glaciers and Hazy Air on Pluto
Astronomers astounded by the dwarf planet's active geology and atmosphere
Pluto and Charon Come into Sharper Focus
Images from the New Horizons probe’s journey to the distant reaches of the solar system
Astronomers Propose Giant Space Telescope to Replace Hubble
A segmented mirror four or five times wider than Hubble's would peer directly at exoplanets
Oil and Gas Company's Disposal of Wastewater Causes Sharp Rise in Quakes
Nearly 90 percent of temblors in the central U.S. are now caused by water injected into underground wells
Pluto's Moons Move in Synchrony
Gravity binds together three of the dwarf planet's satellites
Giant Telescope in Hawaii Progresses, with New Restrictions
The embattled Thirty Meter Telescope project can proceed on Mauna Kea, but only by cutting back astronomy elsewhere on the mountain
Images Expose Thunder in Exquisite Detail [Video]
Acoustic measurements reveal the energy that radiates from a lightning bolt
Massive Underwater Volcano Erupts
An event at the Axial Seamount tests a new deep-sea observing network
Pluto May Have Icy Cap
The latest images from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft show a bright spot near the dwarf planet's pole
Mercury Mission Set to End with Dramatic Crash
The chief scientist for the Mercury MESSENGER mission reminisces its findings and upcoming finale
Major Earthquake Hits Nepal
Shaking struck near Kathmandu, where buildings collapsed and thousands are feared dead
The Mystery of Ceres's Bright Spots Grows
New data from NASA's Dawn spacecraft suggest varied origins for tantalizing gleams on the dwarf planet's surface
Mystery Dust Cloud and Aurora Spotted on Mars
A spacecraft has discovered surprises in the Red Planet's upper atmosphere
Bright Spots on Ceres Could Be Active Ice
Early data from the Dawn spacecraft could clear up a mystery about the dwarf planet
![Best Images Ever of Mercury's Scorched Surface [Slide Show]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/E0316A7B-7F94-46C8-AE8D87752FA6DF8A_agenda.jpg?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
Best Images Ever of Mercury's Scorched Surface [Slide Show]
As the MESSENGER spacecraft prepares a planned death plunge into the planet's surface, the mission has sent back some of the best images ever taken of Mercury
Best Images Ever of Mercury's Scorched Surface
As a spacecraft prepares a planned death plunge into the planet's surface, the mission has sent back some of the best images ever taken of Mercury
NASA Launches Next-Generation Scientific Balloon
Superpressure technology could keep gamma-ray telescope aloft for 100 days or more around Antarctica
