Artist’s illustration of a large exomoon orbiting a large exoplanet. Credit: NASA/ESA/L. Hustak Does the size of an exomoon help determine if life could form on an exoplanet it’s orbiting?…
Category: Planetary Science
Research sheds new light on moon rock formation solving major puzzle in lunar geology
Image shows astronaut-geologist standing next to a huge lunar boulder during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The scientists in this research used rock samples from this Apollo mission. Credit:…
Doomed US lunar lander’s space odyssey continues… for now
Though Astrobotic, the company that built the Peregrine robot, has said a controlled touchdown on the Moon is no longer possible — it hasn’t ruled out a so-called “hard landing”…
Planetesimals are buffeted by wind in their nebula, throwing debris into space: Study
This artist’s illustration shows planetisimals around a young star. New research shows that planetesimals are blasted by headwind, losing debris into space. Credit: NASA/JPL Before planets form around a young…
Solar electric propulsion systems could be just what we need for efficient trips to Mars
Artist’s impression of a solar electric propulsion system. Credit: NASA There are many different ways to get to Mars, but there are always tradeoffs. Chemical propulsion, proven the most popular,…
Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detects surprise gamma-ray feature beyond our galaxy
This artist’s concept shows the entire sky in gamma rays with magenta circles illustrating the uncertainty in the direction from which more high-energy gamma rays than average seem to be…
Old stars may be the best places to search for life
Composite image illustrating 51 Pegasi system and its measured magnetic field. The detected “Weak Magnetic Braking” of 51 Peg represents a relatively sudden change that makes the magnetic environment more…
Webb finds signs of possible aurorae on isolated brown dwarf
This artist concept portrays the brown dwarf W1935, which is located 47 light-years from Earth. Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope found infrared emission from methane coming from W1935.…
Questions about NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission put JPL jobs in jeopardy
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Jet Propulsion Laboratory laid off 100 contractors last week and will scale back part of the first-ever effort to bring pieces of Mars to Earth,…
Should we send humans to Pluto?
Image of Pluto obtained by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft during its flyby in July 2015, which reveals the smooth, nitrogen plains of Sputnik Planitia (heart-shaped region) and vast, water-ice mountain ranges.…
