In 2013, the Hubble Space Telescope spotted water vapor on Jupiter's moon Europa. The vapor was evidence of plumes similar to the ones on Saturn's moon Enceladus. That, and other compelling evidence, showed that the moon ...
Planetary Sciences
Apr 10, 2024
0
11
The Kuiper Belt is a massive disk of icy bodies, including Pluto, that is located just outside of Neptune's orbit in our solar system. Objects observed in the Kuiper Belt exhibit a more diversified color range than any other ...
Astronomy
May 31, 2023
0
85
With an eye toward a possible return mission years in the future, Cornell astronomers have shown how smooth terrains—a good place to land a spacecraft and to scoop up samples—evolve on the icy world of comets.
Astronomy
Sep 1, 2022
0
40
While for humans the constants might be death and taxes, for planets the constants are gravity and collisions.
Astronomy
Mar 30, 2022
0
149
Anomalies in the distribution of hydrogen at Occator crater on the dwarf planet Ceres reveal an icy crust, says a new paper led by Tom Prettyman, a Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute.
Astronomy
Aug 13, 2021
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1030
The search for life beyond Earth typically focuses on first looking for water, the basis for life as we know it. Whether the water is a gas, liquid, or solid, its presence and composition can tell researchers a lot about ...
Space Exploration
Jun 2, 2021
1
3
The outermost reaches of our solar system are a strange place—filled with dark and icy bodies with nicknames like Sedna, Biden and The Goblin, each of which span several hundred miles across.
Astronomy
Jul 7, 2020
7
360
Comets are known to have a temper. As they swoop in from the outer edges of our solar system, these icy bodies begin spewing gas and dust as they venture closer to the sun. Their luminous outbursts can result in spectacular ...
Astronomy
Oct 24, 2019
7
1182
In recent years, the idea of life on other planets has become less far-fetched. NASA announced June 27 that it will send a vehicle to Saturn's icy moon Titan, a celestial body known to harbor surface lakes of methane and ...
Space Exploration
Jul 12, 2019
0
1
Scientists dealt a blow Monday to the quest for organisms inhabiting worlds besides Earth, saying our planet was unusual in its ability to host liquid water—the key ingredient for life.
Astronomy
Jul 31, 2017
30
984
