Planetary sciences is an interdisciplinary field that investigates the formation, evolution, and current state of planets, moons, and smaller bodies within and beyond our Solar System using the methods of physics, chemistry, geology, and atmospheric science. It encompasses studies of planetary interiors, surfaces, atmospheres, magnetospheres, and ring systems, as well as orbital dynamics and interactions with stellar radiation and plasma environments. Planetary sciences integrates remote sensing, in situ spacecraft measurements, laboratory experiments, and numerical modeling to constrain processes such as accretion, differentiation, tectonism, volcanism, impact cratering, climate evolution, and potential habitability on diverse planetary bodies.
How can humanity use the developing Lunar Gateway as an appropriate starting point for advancing human space exploration beyond the moon? This is what a recent study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference ...
Space Exploration
Jun 2, 2025
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A small team of planetary scientists, astrophysicists and space flight researchers affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. and one in France has made the first direct detection of atmospheric sputtering on Mars.
A series of experiments led by Southwest Research Institute's Dr. Ujjwal Raut support spectral data recently collected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) that found evidence that the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa ...
Planetary Sciences
May 28, 2025
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A team of international astronomers led by Richard Teague, the Kerr-McGee Career Development Professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), has gathered the most sensitive and detailed observations ...
Planetary Sciences
May 22, 2025
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A new NASA study reveals a surprising way planetary cores may have formed—one that could reshape how scientists understand the early evolution of rocky planets like Mars.
Planetary Sciences
May 22, 2025
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The puzzling behavior of Titan's atmosphere has been revealed by researchers at the University of Bristol for the first time. By analyzing data from the Cassini-Huygens mission, a joint venture between NASA, the European ...
Planetary Sciences
May 22, 2025
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Lake Tahoe is experiencing large-scale shifts in ultraviolet radiation (UV) as climate change intensifies wet and dry extremes in the region. That is according to a study led by the University of California, Davis's Tahoe ...
Earth Sciences
May 21, 2025
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25
The fundamental building blocks for planet formation can exist even in environments with extreme ultraviolet radiation, according to a new study by an international collaboration led by Penn State astronomers.
Astronomy
May 21, 2025
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In the Southeast, wildfire risk is increasing. Fire suppression has allowed fuel to accumulate in forests, droughts are becoming more common, and communities are developing more homes and infrastructure in forested areas. ...
Environment
May 19, 2025
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Analyzing gravity data collected by spacecraft orbiting other worlds reveals groundbreaking insights about planetary structures without having to land on the surface.
Astronomy
May 14, 2025
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