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.
Is there a massive undiscovered planet on the outer reaches of the solar system? The idea has been around since before the discovery of Pluto in the 1930s. Labeled as planet X, prominent astronomers had put it forward as ...
Astronomy
Jul 29, 2025
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When spacecraft land on the moon, their engines unleash huge clouds of dust and debris that can damage expensive equipment and threaten future lunar bases. As space agencies plan to establish a lasting presence on the moon, ...
Space Exploration
Jul 22, 2025
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114
People have long wondered what life was first like on Earth, and if there is life in our solar system beyond our planet. Scientists have reason to believe that some of the moons in our solar system—like Jupiter's Europa and ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 21, 2025
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The Subaru Telescope has made an exciting discovery: a small body beyond Pluto, with implications for the formation, evolution, and current structure of the outer solar system.
Astronomy
Jul 16, 2025
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A new study led by University of Houston researchers, in collaboration with planetary scientists worldwide, suggests Uranus does have its own internal heat—an advance that not only informs NASA's future missions but also ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 14, 2025
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Scientists with NASA's Lucy mission continue to analyze data collected during the spacecraft's April 20 encounter with the main-belt asteroid Donaldjohanson.
Planetary Sciences
Jul 2, 2025
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One of the great unsolved problems in modern planetary science is written on the surface of Mars. Mars has canyons that were carved by rivers, so it was once warm enough for liquid water. How—and why—did it become a barren ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 2, 2025
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150
What methods can be used to identify subsurface oceans on the five largest moons of Uranus: Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon, and Miranda? This is what a recent study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference ...
Space Exploration
Jun 27, 2025
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53
As humanity ventures deeper into space, one critical question looms large: how do we prevent Earth's microbes from contaminating other worlds? A new study published in Journal of The Royal Society Interface by Daniel J. Brener ...
Astrobiology
Jun 27, 2025
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The origin of life is one of the most fundamental and enduring questions of mankind and one of the three greatest Origin Questions in the natural sciences. Recently, China officially launched its Mars Sample Return (MSR) ...
Astrobiology
Jun 26, 2025
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