Discoveries deep beneath Earth’s surface drive planetary exploration, and discoveries on other planets inform our understanding of the world beneath our feet.
Space & Planets
Posted inNews
All About Bennu: A Rubble Pile with a Lot of Surprises
Asteroid Bennu has been under close scrutiny since December. Here are six key results from the first few months of data from OSIRIS-REx.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Probing the Origin of a New Celestial Phenomenon
The first statistical study of STEVE events suggests that the appearance of these narrow ribbons of light is closely correlated with violent disturbances in Earth’s magnetosphere.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Antenna Design Could Improve Satellite Communications
A novel antenna design promises to improve bandwidth and allow for better communication between Earth stations and satellites.
Posted inNews
Science Down, Lunar Exploration Up in NASA Budget Request
Here are five key takeaways from the president’s recent budget request for NASA.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Local Heat Source Needed to Form Liquid Water Lake on Mars
Thermal modeling suggests that active magmatism in the past few hundred thousand years could account for the presence of a large lake previously hypothesized beneath the Red Planet’s southern ice cap.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Scientists, Explorers Keen to Locate Water-Bearing Asteroids
Hydrated minerals on near-Earth asteroids offer both scientific revelations and economic incentives for companies looking to refuel satellites with material from nearby space.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Erupting Saltwater and the Bright Spots in Occator Crater, Ceres
Simulations show that pockets of brine that form from the addition of impact heat to the crust of Ceres could have erupted on the floor of Occator crater, explaining the presence of the bright spots.
Posted inFeatures
How Did We Miss This? An Upper Atmospheric Discovery Named STEVE
Captured unknowingly by scientific instruments for years, a sky phenomenon is finally brought to the attention of researchers by eagle-eyed citizen scientists.
Posted inNews
Pluto’s and Charon’s Craters Reveal a Solar System Deficit
The New Horizons spacecraft recorded images of craters that imply an unexpected dearth of small objects in the Kuiper Belt.