The first mission to a metallic asteroid, scheduled for launch on 5 October, could provide clues to the formation of Earth and the solar system’s other inner planets.
planetary surfaces
Posted inFeatures
Cryovolcanism’s Song of Ice and Fire
Ocean moons of the outer solar system hint at ice volcanoes, hydrothermal vents, and the tantalizing chance of habitability.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Optimizing Carbonate Classification on Mars
Combining data from several of the Perseverance rover’s spectroscopic sensors offers a more accurate means to classify carbonate minerals that may hold hints of ancient life.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Decrypting Lunar Craters Quickly and Easily
Machine learning can reveal the stories written in the marks on the Moon.
Posted inNews
Nearby Volcano Planet Likely Fueled by Tidal Heating
A gravitational dance between a newly discovered exoplanet and its host star may be driving extreme volcanism on its surface.
Posted inScience Updates
The Nitty-Gritty Forces That Shape Planetary Surfaces
Scientists are coming up with ingenious ways to compare terrestrial sand dunes, dust storms, and rain with their counterparts on Mars and Titan.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A New Origin Story for Mars’s Burns Formation
The Red Planet’s Grasberg and Burns formations have different compositions today, but they may have started out the same way.
Posted inNews
Asteroid Impacts Could Have Warmed Ancient Mars
Hydrogen released during large impacts might have boosted Mars’s surface temperature above freezing for thousands or even millions of years, enabling liquid water to flow over the Red Planet.
Posted inNews
Active Volcanoes on Venus?
With a new look at old imagery, scientists may have found evidence of volcanic activity on Venus.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Lagos longevos cuentan una historia sobre el agua en Marte
Imágenes de alta resolución de paleolagos recientemente descubiertos en Marte demuestran un período de su historia con flujo de agua constante.