Planetary Science

After the spectacular success of the first-ever “Marscopter,” mission planners have soaring ambitions for follow-up flying machines

Astronomy’s future may be slipping away—one climate disaster at a time

The solar system’s outer limits aren’t as clear-cut as you might think

As climate change warms the poles, precious Antarctic meteorites will melt their way down out of scientists’ reach

The Geologic Atlas of the Lunar Globe doubles the resolution of Apollo-era maps and will support the space ambitions of China and other countries

Someday an unlucky outburst from our sun could strike Earth and fry most of our electronics—and we’ve already had some too-close-for-comfort near misses

Perspective and subtle motion allows us to peek over the moon’s edge and into its far side

Facing budgetary pressure for its Mars Sample Return program, NASA has turned to private industry for ideas—perhaps with one specific company in mind

When astronauts return to the moon later this decade, they’ll bring along science experiments to study moonquakes, lunar water ice and extraterrestrial agriculture

The search for a mysterious planetary body beyond Neptune has narrowed down its possible location—if it exists at all

The ocean’s twice-daily rise and fall is only the most obvious effect of tides—they slow Earth’s spin and shape stars and galaxies, too

The atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-76b may rain iron and form a strange, rainbow-like phenomenon called a “glory” never yet seen outside the solar system