planetary-science

Scientists are trying to understand Venus' bright surface formations, called coronae, using new 3D maps.

The largest moon in the solar system — Jupiter’s Ganymede — has a unique and inexplicable magnetic field. New research could finally explain it: the moon is heating up.

NASA took advantage of the recent close approach of the Psyche probe to Mars to calibrate its observation instruments.

By examining the Moon’s surface more closely, astronomers noticed giant letter-shaped formations hidden in plain sight.

On its way to a metal asteroid, NASA's Psyche probe tested its cameras as it got a gravity assist from the Red Planet.

Speeding up, slowing down, capturing amazing views, making discoveries -- all thanks to planets....

NASA’S Juno spacecraft images Jupiter’s tiny moon of Thebe in a recent close approach.

In this pilot study, we investigate the known PN population in M 33, a nearby spiral galaxy, at a distance of ≈840 kpc, using data from the DR3 of the Javalambre-Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS), a 12-band photometric dataset extensively used to identify Hα line emitters. From the 143 known PNe of M 33, the photometry of only 13 is present in the J-PLUS catalog, as available on the J-PL…

Planetary nebula are created when a dying star sheds it outer layers. The gas is lit up by the star and all the gorgeous, changing detail is exposed. NGC 1514, the Crystal Ball Nebula, is about 1500 light years away and contains a binary pair in its center. The orbits and winds from the stars create the Crystal Ball's beautiful form.

Witness a rare weekend celestial parade as Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury light up the western sky.

Despite being the closest planet to the sun, Mercury has thick deposits of ice at its poles, and now we may understand the events that formed them over just one Mercurian day

NASA’s Orion spacecraft captures itself, the Moon, and Earth during the Artemis II crew’s deep space journey on 6 April 2026. Credit: NASA

"The more we learn about these other planets, the better we understand the ingredients that make for stable, habitable planets."

NASA’s Perseverance rover captures a bizarre rock stack on Mars, revealing insights into the planet’s geological past.

The number of climbers making the ascent on the 29,032-foot peak from the Nepalese side is higher this season because China has closed the route from Tibet.

"The evidence for water vapor plumes on Europa isn’t as strong as we first understood it."

Neptune has a complicated life story, and its moon Nereid might be the only one left standing from the planet’s multibillion-year history.

Researchers have uncovered traces of alien space matter within an ancient impact site in South Korea, a discovery that could fundamentally alter our understanding of how life began on Earth. The team examined the Hapcheon crater, the sole verified asteroid-strike site on the Korean Peninsula, where they identified stromatolites bearing extraterrestrial signatures. These distinctive layered rock f…

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  May 21: Check in on Saturn and Mars Tonight we’re focused on Jupiter, as two of its Galilean moons cross the planet’ disk this evening. East Coast observers can zoom in on the gas giant shortly after sunset to see Io alone Continue reading "The Sky Today on Friday, May 22: Busy moons around Jupiter" The post The Sky Toda…

Distance from Earth (logarithmic scale) — Moon 1 mi 10 mi 100 mi 1,000 mi 10,000 mi 100,000 mi Moon 1M mi 10M mi 100M mi 1B mi At the end of the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, after defeating the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy Gale squeezes her eyes tightly shut, Continue reading "No place like home" The post No place like home appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .