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Planetary Sciences news
Massive impact could be the cause of our lopsided moon
Our nearest neighbor, the moon, is still something of a mystery to us. For decades, scientists have wondered why it appears so lopsided, with dark volcanic plains on the near side (the side we see) and rugged, cratered mountains ...
The path to solar weather forecasts is paved with drops in cosmic rays
At times, the sun ejects energetic material into space, which can have consequences for space-based and even ground-based electronic technology. Researchers aim to understand this phenomenon and find ways to forecast it, ...
Astronomy
6 hours ago
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Tiny Mars's big impact on Earth's climate: How the red planet's pull shapes ice ages
At half the size of Earth and one-tenth its mass, Mars is a featherweight as far as planets go. Yet new research reveals the extent to which Mars is quietly tugging on Earth's orbit and shaping the cycles that drive long-term ...
Planetary Sciences
Jan 12, 2026
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Complex life on planets orbiting the galaxy's most common stars may be unlikely
In a blow to anyone dreaming that complex life may exist elsewhere in the universe, a new study suggests we're unlikely to find it around many of the most common stars in the galaxy.
Mars was once a 'blue planet': Ancient river deltas point to vast ocean
Using images from cameras on Mars orbiters, an international research team has discovered structures on Mars that are very similar to classic river deltas on Earth. These are traces of rivers that have deposited their sediments ...
Astrobiology
Jan 12, 2026
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How astronomers plan to detect the signatures of alien life in the atmospheres of distant planets
We live in a very exciting time: answers to some of the oldest questions humanity has conceived are within our grasp. One of these is whether Earth is the only place that harbors life.
Planetary Sciences
Jan 12, 2026
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NASA's Pandora telescope will study stars in detail to learn about the exoplanets orbiting them
On Jan. 11, 2026, I watched anxiously at the tightly controlled Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as an awe-inspiring SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried NASA's new exoplanet telescope, Pandora, into orbit.
Astronomy
Jan 12, 2026
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Scientists find more active black holes in dwarf and Milky Way-sized galaxies by cutting through glare of star formation
Astronomers have completed the most comprehensive census of active galactic nuclei (AGN) to date, providing the clearest picture yet of the probability that galaxies of different sizes host active black holes.
Astronomy
Jan 9, 2026
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The electrifying science behind Martian dust
Mars, often depicted as a barren red planet, is far from lifeless. With its thin atmosphere and dusty surface, it is an energetic and electrically charged environment where dust storms and dust devils continually reshape ...
Planetary Sciences
Jan 8, 2026
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Simultaneous packing structures in superionic water may explain ice giant magnetic fields
Superionic water—the hot, black and strangely conductive form of ice that exists in the center of distant planets—was predicted in the 1980s and first recreated in a laboratory in 2018. With each closer look, it continues ...
Planetary Sciences
Jan 8, 2026
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Asteroid impact simulation reveals the hidden strength of space rocks
Physicists at the University of Oxford have contributed to a new study which has found that iron-rich asteroids can tolerate far more energy than previously thought without breaking apart—a breakthrough with direct implications ...
Astronomy
Jan 8, 2026
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Study offers possible solution to a gravitational wave mystery
Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder may have solved a pressing mystery about the universe's gravitational wave background.
Astronomy
Jan 8, 2026
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Astrophysicists map how many ghost particles all the Milky Way's stars send towards Earth
They're called ghost particles for a reason. They're everywhere—trillions of them constantly stream through everything: our bodies, our planet, even the entire cosmos. These so-called neutrinos are elementary particles ...
Astronomy
Jan 8, 2026
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Solar physicists discover long-hidden source of gamma rays unleashed by flares
Solar physicists say they have found a key source of intense gamma rays unleashed when Earth's nearest star produces its most violent eruptions.
Astronomy
Jan 7, 2026
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Plasma rings around M dwarf stars offer new clues to planetary habitability
How does a star affect the makeup of its planets? And what does this mean for the habitability of distant worlds? Carnegie's Luke Bouma is exploring a new way to probe this critical question—using naturally occurring space ...
Astronomy
Jan 7, 2026
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Lunar spacecraft exhaust could obscure clues to origins of life
Over half of the exhaust methane from lunar spacecraft could end up contaminating areas of the moon that might otherwise yield clues about the origins of Earthly life, according to a recent study. The pollution could unfold ...
Astrobiology
Jan 7, 2026
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Vera C. Rubin Observatory spots record-breaking asteroid in pre-survey observations
Astronomers analyzing data from Vera C. Rubin Observatory have discovered the fastest-ever spinning asteroid with a diameter over half a kilometer—a feat uniquely enabled by Rubin. The study provides crucial information ...
Astronomy
Jan 7, 2026
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Sandblasting on Mars: Camera reveals how prevailing winds shape elongated landforms in volcanic zone
Martian winds can have quite an impact. ESA's Mars Express has spotted them whipping up sand grains and acting as a cosmic sandblaster, carving out intriguing grooves near Mars's equator.
Planetary Sciences
Jan 7, 2026
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Inside the massive radio search of our newest interstellar guest
It feels like every week now we're writing a new article about how 3I/ATLAS is not an alien technology. But it's worth reiterating, and perhaps taking a look at the methodology we used to prove that statement. A new paper, ...
Astronomy
Jan 7, 2026
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Four baby planets show how super-Earths and sub-Neptunes form
Thanks to the discovery of thousands of exoplanets to date, we know that planets bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune orbit most stars. Oddly, our sun lacks such a planet. That's been a source of frustration for planetary ...
Astronomy
Jan 7, 2026
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Five new planets and the battle for their atmospheres
Wind-sculpted landscapes: Investigating the Martian megaripple 'Hazyview'
Life on lava: How microbes colonize new habitats
Sailboat measurements improve estimates of ocean CO₂ uptake
Scientists realize a three-qubit quantum register in a silicon photonic chip
