Planet News
Messages from Mercury
[/caption] It's been just over two months since the MESSENGER spacecraft successfully entered orbit around Mercury, back on March 18,…
Lone Planets “More Common Than Stars”
[/caption] We happen to live in a solar system where everything seems to be tucked neatly in place. Sun, planets,…
Guest Post: Drifting on Alien Winds: Exploring the Skies and Weather of Other Worlds
[/caption] Editor's note: We all want to explore other worlds in our solar system, but perhaps you haven't considered the…
Dawn Planetary Delights
[/caption] During the month of May, four bright Planets will grace the morning sky just before dawn. The planets Venus,…
Clyde Tombaugh’s Ten Special Commandments for Planet Hunters
[/caption] Back in 1989, amateur astronomer Toney Burkhart found out that Clyde Tombaugh was going to be giving a talk…
New Studies: Planetary Rings Harbor Records of Past Smash-Ups
[/caption] Planetary rings are more than just astronomical marvels -- they're also a sort of archive, chronicling histories of impacts…
Probing the Moho Boundary – Earth’s Own Unexplored Frontier
[/caption] The boundary where Earth’s crust gives way to the unexplored mantle was first detected in 1909, because of a…
New Horizons Flies by Uranus
The Pluto-bound New Horizons spacecraft will fly by another planet today (March 18, 2011). However, the robotic craft won’t be…
Did Mars’ Missing Carbon Go Underground in a Wetter Age?
[/caption] A close look at the Wisconsin-sized Huygens Crater, above, in Mars' southern highlands gave NASA and Arizona State University…
First-Time Solar System Mosaic From the Inside Out
[/caption] Say cheese! The MESSENGER spacecraft has captured the first portrait of our Solar System from the inside looking out. The…