The Kepler Space Telescope will soon run out of fuel and end its mission. Here are nine fundamental discoveries about planets aided by Kepler in the 9 years since its launch.

Kimberly M. S. Cartier
Kimberly M. S. Cartier, Senior Science Reporter for Eos.org, joined the Eos staff in 2017 after earning her Ph.D. studying extrasolar planets. Kimberly covers space science, climate change, and STEM diversity, justice, and education
Two Active Volcanoes in Japan May Share a Magma Source
Evidence collected following the 2011 eruption of Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano suggests that the powerful event affected the behavior of an active caldera nearby.
What Can NASA Do to Better Protect the Planets It Probes?
A new report found that decades-old policies, unclear strategies, and regulatory gaps may create future problems for the agency. Here are four ways to head off these problems.
Why Are Siberian Temperatures Plummeting While the Arctic Warms?
The answer involves the intricacies of stratospheric circulation, which, if better represented in climate models, could help predict extreme weather events in Siberia and elsewhere.
Ten New Moons Discovered Around Jupiter
The newly plotted moons of Jupiter include one “oddball” that orbits in the wrong direction and may be the remnant of a head-on collision.
Are We Prepared for an Asteroid Headed Straight to Earth?
A century after an asteroid crashed into Tunguska, Siberia, experts discuss the current lineup of missions to study asteroids and mitigate future disasters should another object from space hit Earth.
Emperor Penguins’ Huddles Change in Response to Weather
How quickly the penguins huddled when weather worsened provided clues about their feeding success and how climate change may alter the Antarctic biosphere, according to scientists.
Solar Flare Caused Increased Oxygen Loss from Mars’s Atmosphere
Measurements by a Mars-orbiting spacecraft indicated heating and chemistry changes in the planet’s atmosphere following an extreme solar eruption last year.
Seeing Green: A Stratospheric View of the 2017 Total Eclipse
Airborne telescopes gave scientists a sky-high view of the 2017 Great American Eclipse as they took measurements that are difficult to obtain from the ground.
Touring the Solar System with Science Art
No sketchy science here! Just science sketches that bring conference note-taking to a whole new level.