Jupiter's Europa moon 'likeliest to have life'

US astronomers looking for life in the solar system believe that Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter, which has an ocean, is much more promising than desert-covered Mars, which is currently the focus of the US government's ...

Unlocking the mystery behind Saturn's moonlets

(Phys.org)—Research by Loughborough University physicists casts new light on Saturn's moonlets – and could help solve some of the mysteries surrounding planet formation.

A possible naked-eye comet in March

Far beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto, where the sun is a pinprick of light not much brighter than other stars, a vast swarm of icy bodies circles the solar system. Astronomers call it the "Oort Cloud," and it is the ...

Stranger in the night: space rock to make close Earth flyby

(Phys.org)—A little-known asteroid will skim past Earth on 15 February, passing just 28 000 km from our planet. The 50 m-diameter chunk of space rock was discovered last year by ESA-sponsored amateur astronomers in Spain.

What craters on the Moon teach us about Earth

Some questions about our own planet are best answered by looking someplace else entirely… in the case of impact craters and when, how and how often they were formed, that someplace can be found shining down on us nearly ...

Celestial flybys set to thrill

Astronomers are gearing up for thrills this year when Earth gets buzzed by two rogue asteroids and two comets, including a wanderer last seen by the forerunners of mankind.

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