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 Science
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
New Issue: Science’s Impossible Questions. Read Now
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
Planetary ScienceNovember 1, 2021
Ancient Martian ‘Lake’ May Have Just Been Ephemeral Puddles
One study suggests the Curiosity rover’s landing site is not as it seems
Planetary ScienceOctober 28, 2021
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Is Surprisingly Deep
NASA’s Juno spacecraft peered underneath the gas giant’s dense clouds to determine the structure of its iconic spinning storm
Planetary ScienceOctober 19, 2021
Lucy, the First Mission to Jupiter’s Asteroids, Could Reveal Solar System Origins
The NASA spacecraft will loop past the never before explored Trojan asteroids during a 12-year journey
Planetary ScienceOctober 15, 2021
Meteorite Crashes into Woman’s Bed in Canada
The woman awoke to find the space rock laying next to her head
OpinionOctober 13, 2021
Planetary Defense Is Good—but Is Planetary Offense Better?
A new approach could mitigate the most damaging effects of an imminent asteroid or comet strike—or ensure many threatening objects never get close to striking Earth in the first place