Planetary Science

In his latest book, science journalist Peter Brannen argues that CO₂ is the most important—and most misunderstood—molecule on Earth

With no fuel or engines, tiny explorers will surf sun-warmed air alone to explore high in the skies of Earth and Mars

Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have spotted a moon nestled near Uranus’s rings that’s so small you could walk around it

The Juno spacecraft has rewritten the story on Jupiter, the solar system’s undisputed heavyweight

Beneath the surfaces of distant planets, microbes might subsist on harsh radiation rather than starlight, a new study suggests

The U.S. planetary science community is sounding the alarm about plans to discard a nuclear technology that has powered dozens of NASA missions over the past 50 years

Spurred by competition from China and Russia, the Trump administration is pushing for nuclear power on the moon by 2030

Astronomers think small space rocks from beyond our solar system routinely strike Earth—but proving it isn’t easy

It’s certainly possible to consume water sourced from the icy rings of Saturn, but doing so safely may require extra steps

Scientists are racing to learn as much as possible about the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS before it fades from view forever

Observations of a baby star may show the earliest stages of planet formation that astronomers have ever seen

When large masses of water are moved from one place to another, this changes the shape of Earth and leads to a phenomenon called true polar wander