A year after the end of the Rosetta mission, the real scientific fun begins.
solar system
Posted inNews
NASA's New Discovery Missions Will Look Back to Our Origins
Two recently approved missions will explore our solar system's early history, looking at asteroids near Jupiter and an odd object that may be a planetary core.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Insight into Silica Explains Planetary Smashup
A better equation of state for silica will help planetary scientists accurately constrain the giant impacts that have shaped our solar system.
Posted inEditors' Vox
To Bennu and Back
Justin Filiberto shares his experience as a guest at the OSIRIS-REx launch; a mission to obtain samples from the asteroid Bennu in hopes of learning more about the origin of water on Earth.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Elevating Planetary Science in Africa
Although planetary sciences may be perceived as long-term fundamental research with little direct and immediate benefit for populations, expanding planetary science programs can have many benefits
Posted inNews
NASA's New Asteroid Sampler Will Illuminate Solar System's History
In 7 years, scientists hope to directly analyze materials from the asteroid Bennu, an object that may reveal what conditions were like in the solar system 4.5 billion years ago.
Posted inNews
Six Things Dwarf Planets Have Taught Us About the Solar System
It's been 10 years since Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. But no matter the label, it and its dwarf planet cousins continue to stun researchers with their complexity.
Posted inNews
New-Found Dwarf Planet Points to Solar System's Chaotic Past
Astronomers have discovered an icy ball in the dark and frigid regions of the outer solar system, which they suspect harbors secrets to the solar system's formation and evolution.
Posted inNews
Comet with Stunted Tail Hints at How Solar System Formed
Finding out whether just a few or many of this newfound type of rocky object roam deep space should help scientists sort among contrasting scenarios of the solar system's infancy.
Posted inScience Updates
Comparing Planetary Climates to Investigate Climate Systems
Comparative Climates of Terrestrial Planets II (CCTP2 ): Understanding How Climate Systems Work; Moffett Field, California, 8–11 September 2015