Planetary ScienceApril 14, 2022
Hubble Confirms Megacomet Bound for Inner Solar System Is Largest Ever Seen
The icy nucleus of Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is about 80 miles (129 kilometers) wide
Planetary Science
AstronomyApril 14, 2022
Ukrainian Astronomers Discover ‘Exocomets’ around Another Star
The alien comets could illuminate the history of their planetary system
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Planetary ScienceMarch 17, 2022
China’s First Moon Rocks Ignite Research Bonanza
Samples collected by Chang’e-5 are revealing exciting insights into the moon’s evolution
Planetary ScienceFebruary 17, 2022
What We Learned from the Perseverance Rover’s First Year on Mars
Despite some unexpected challenges, team members are setting lofty goals for the rover in 2022
Planetary ScienceFebruary 2, 2022
Earth Has a New Asteroid Companion but Not for Long
The Trojan asteroid 2020 XL5 is projected to linger in our planet’s vicinity for the next 4,000 years
AstronomyJanuary 13, 2022
Astronomers Have Found Another Possible ‘Exomoon’ beyond Our Solar System
Kepler-1708 b-i appears to be a giant moon orbiting a Jupiter-sized planet thousands of light-years from Earth
Planetary ScienceJanuary 12, 2022
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Chokes on Mars Pebbles while Collecting a Rock Sample
The rover’s latest sample collection—an effort to gather material for eventual return to Earth—is off to a rocky start
AnimalsDecember 27, 2021
The Best Fun Science Stories of 2021: Rhythmic Lemurs, a Marscopter and Sex-Obsessed Insect Zombies
Check out the weird and wonderful stories that delighted us this year
Planetary ScienceDecember 2, 2021
Heavy Metal Exoplanet Found Orbiting Nearby Star
With a density close to that of pure iron, GJ 367b may be the remnant metal-rich core of an evaporated giant world
Planetary ScienceNovember 18, 2021
NASA’s DART Mission Could Help Cancel an Asteroid Apocalypse
Our planet is vulnerable to thousands of “city-killer” space rocks. If—when—one is found on a collision course with Earth, will we be ready to deflect it?
Planetary ScienceNovember 13, 2021
Space Rocks Keep Hitting Jupiter: What’s the Deal with That?
The giant planet’s hefty gravitational tug helps explain a spate of recent asteroid strikes
Planetary ScienceNovember 7, 2021
Can Digital Replica of Earth Save the World from Climate Disaster?
A new virtual model of our planet could help resolve lingering climatic uncertainties