Planetary Science

Newfound spiderlike features suggest lunar explorers should watch their step

Mysterious “leopard spots” on a Martian rock could be evidence of extraterrestrial life—or of mere lifeless chemistry. Finding out the truth may require bringing the rock back to Earth

Material from the moon’s far side collected by China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft could solve a long-standing lunar mystery

We can and should look harder for evidence of alien visitors to our solar system

Despite an eye-watering price tag, bringing pieces of Mars back to Earth promises to revolutionize our understanding of life’s place in the early solar system

China’s Chang’e 6 mission has successfully returned samples from the moon’s far side, opening a new phase of the nation’s lunar space race with the U.S.

Pollution from skyrocketing numbers of satellites burning up in Earth’s atmosphere could threaten our planet’s protective ozone layer

Scientists have found signs of fresh flowing lava on Venus in decades-old data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft

The massive sunspot region that gave Earthlings stunning auroral displays earlier in May is back from its trip around the far side of the sun

Solar storms that create auroras affect Earth’s magnetic field and may cause migratory species, such as many whales and birds, to lose their way

A new theory tested on Apollo-era data suggests that high-speed moon dust could pose engineering hazards—and diplomatic headaches

A supernova showering Earth with radioactive debris is a surprisingly common cosmic occurrence