Planetary science – Page 3
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ResearchThe sun may have been the surprising source of Earth’s water
Dust grains pounded by solar wind and then delivered to Earth are a significant source of the planet’s oceans
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NewsAirbus to build Ariel telescope to examine exoplanets' chemical composition
European Space Agency’s mission to study chemical composition of 1000 exoplanets will launch in 2029
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NewsJames Webb Space Telescope poised to provide insight into chemical evolution of universe
Launch later this month could provide new understanding of exoplanets and the origins of heavier elements
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NewsNasa makes plans to return to Venus to probe the hellish chemistry of its atmosphere
Probe set to launch in 2029 may be able to establish whether life ever existed there and answer the phosphine question
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ResearchMethane mystery on Saturn’s moon rekindles search for life on other planets
Researchers struggle to explain suspicious amounts of methane on Enceladus while a new chapter opens in the debate around the source of Venus’s phosphine. Why is it so hard to decide what counts as a sign of life?
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CareersExploring the space economy
In the words of Jean-Luc Picard, ‘things are only impossible until they are not’
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ResearchMolecular complexity index could help find proof of alien life
Is it microbes on Venus or just lifeless planetary processes? Discovery could help scientists identify life on other planets
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ResearchMeteorites show modern Mars’ subsurface has ingredients to support life
Terrestrial chemistry that sustains microbial life deep underground appears to be occurring on the Red Planet too
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ResearchGeochemists uncover evidence of massive Antarctic meteorite explosion 430,000 years ago
Airburst event spread material across most of Antarctica
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ResearchExoplanet’s chemical fingerprint suggest a distant birthplace
Unexpectedly high levels of carbon on Osiris indicate an intriguing past
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ResearchA glimpse at alien volcanoes that spew metal
Hypothetical ferrovolcanoes explored with world’s only lava flow simulator
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ResearchSuper-slippery 2D material could be ideal lubricant for planetary rovers
Metal carbide material is significantly better lubricant than oils
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NewsFirst detection of hydrogen chloride gas on Mars
Discovery by ExoMars Orbiter of a new chemical cycle driven by dust and seasonal changes
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FeatureThe hellish chemistry of Venus’ atmosphere
The potential presence of phosphine on Venus is only the latest twist in the strange chemistry of our planetary neighbour, finds Clare Sansom
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ResearchLong-gone planets’ metal composition preserved as pollution around the dead stars that consumed them
Lithium pollution around white dwarf stars offers glimpse at the metal abundances on ancient rocky bodies
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ResearchIs there phosphine on Venus?
A software glitch and a new analysis of 50-year-old data are all helping to answer the question
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ResearchFirst definitive proof of water on the moon
Ice could be a resource for future lunar missions
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ResearchLiquid hydrogen rethink has astronomical implications
Machine learning simulates smooth transition between states, which could affect giant planets
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NewsPerseverance rover’s suite of chemical tools will search for signs of ancient life on Mars
Upgraded probe is better equipped to investigate the red planet
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FeatureDo asteroids hold the key to life on Earth?
A series of missions are set to reveal the hidden secrets of the asteroids. Nina Notman explores the science of space rocks