Planetary Science

Astronomers now have three possible theories to explain how weird hot Jupiter exoplanets form

A mathematical formula shows what would be needed to reduce the planet to cosmic dust

Researchers don’t know how this pair of free-floating planets formed or why it radiates so brightly

Sample-return missions have brought piles of moon rocks, plus pieces of asteroids, comets and even the sun back to Earth. Next up is the big prize: Mars

Snapshots of a plethora of planet-forming disks offer more than just eye candy—they also reveal some fundamental aspects of how worlds are born

NASA’s partnership with private industry to accelerate the U.S.’s return to the moon is delivering lunar payloads—and mixed results

NASA is reaching across more than 15 billion miles to rescue its malfunctioning Voyager 1 probe—but this hallowed interstellar mission can’t live forever

Earthlings are very lucky to see the spectacle of a total solar eclipse

The subsurface ocean of Jupiter’s moon Europa may have far less oxygen—and less potential for life—than previously believed, according to data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft

Eris and Makemake—two icy worlds beyond the orbit of Pluto—have seemingly fresh methane on their surface, a sign of unexpectedly hot interiors

New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope are exposing the pathways that water takes to reach terrestrial planets

Fragments from Asteroid 2024 BX1 have proven to be a rare meteorite type that helps reveal the early solar system's building blocks