A new model shows that a spiral wave may explain why many phenomena in the gas giant's magnetosphere undergo periodic cycles.
solar system
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Objects That Slam into Ceres Remain on Its Surface
Hypervelocity impact experiments shed new light on the composition and evolution of the largest dwarf planet's little-known surface.
Posted inNews
Proposed Planet Nine Elicits Cheers, Yawns, Hunt for Proof
Evidence of a large, unseen planet at the solar system's margins prompted a flurry of scientific paper downloads, as well as oodles of skepticism. There's no sighting yet of the purported body.
Posted inNews
World Without Time
On New Year's Day 2019, a spacecraft known for its historic flyby of Pluto will take an unprecedented look into the distant past by flying right up to a frozen remnant of the original solar system.
Posted inNews
The Dwarf Planet That Came in from the Cold—Maybe
The presence of ammonia-rich clay on much of the surface of Ceres suggests that this dwarf planet—the largest object in the asteroid belt—may have formed far out in the solar system, then wandered in.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Pluto Is Just the Beginning
Pluto is the most distant object visited by a spacecraft, yet exploration of the Solar System is far from complete.
Posted inScience Updates
The Importance of Dunes on a Variety of Planetary Surfaces
The Fourth International Planetary Dunes Workshop: Integrating Models, Remote Sensing, and Field Data; Boise, Idaho, 19–22 May 2015
Posted inNews
Hearing Sparks Concerns About Planetary Science Funding
Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle questioned the administration's proposed cuts and whether support for future missions would be adequate.
Posted inNews
"Amazing" Activity Evident on Pluto's Surface
Scientists struggle to explain perplexing features revealed by the first close-up of the icy body's surface.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Low Heliosphere Pressure Drives Wide CMEs in Weak Solar Cycles
Why are coronal mass ejections from the current solar cycle wider than others? Researchers investigate.