MIT astronomers find the smallest asteroids ever detected in the main belt
The team’s detection method, which identified 138 space rocks ranging from bus- to stadium-sized, could aid in tracking potential asteroid impactors.
Liquid on Mars was not necessarily all water
New study proposes that some of the minerals seen on Mars today may have formed in liquid CO2 instead of water.
Asteroid grains shed light on the outer solar system’s origins
A weak magnetic field likely pulled matter inward to form the outer planetary bodies, from Jupiter to Neptune.
Scientists discover molecules that store much of the carbon in space
The discovery of pyrene derivatives in a distant interstellar cloud may help to reveal how our own solar system formed.
Q&A: How the Europa Clipper will set cameras on a distant icy moon
MIT Research Scientist Jason Soderblom describes how the NASA mission will study the geology and composition of the surface of Jupiter’s water-rich moon and assess its astrobiological potential.
An interstellar instrument takes a final bow
The Plasma Science Experiment aboard NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft turns off after 47 years and 15 billion miles.
Mars’ missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight
A new study shows Mars’ early thick atmosphere could be locked up in the planet’s clay surface.
A wobble from Mars could be sign of dark matter, MIT study finds
Watching for changes in the Red Planet’s orbit over time could be new way to detect passing dark matter.
3 Questions: Evidence for planetary formation through gravitational instability
Assistant Professor Richard Teague describes how movement of unstable gas in a protoplanetary disk lends credibility to a secondary theory of planetary formation.
Study: Rocks from Mars’ Jezero Crater, which likely predate life on Earth, contain signs of water
The presence of organic matter is inconclusive, but the rocks could be scientists’ best chance at finding remnants of ancient Martian life.
Scientists pin down the origins of the moon’s tenuous atmosphere
The barely-there lunar atmosphere is likely the product of meteorite impacts over billions of years, a new study finds.
Astronomers spot a highly “eccentric” planet on its way to becoming a hot Jupiter
The planet’s wild orbit offers clues to how such large, hot planets take shape.
Study: Weaker ocean circulation could enhance CO2 buildup in the atmosphere
New findings challenge current thinking on the ocean’s role in storing carbon.
Study: Titan’s lakes may be shaped by waves
MIT researchers find wave activity on Saturn’s largest moon may be strong enough to erode the coastlines of lakes and seas.
Newly discovered Earth-sized planet may lack an atmosphere
Circling a cold, Jupiter-sized star, the new world could offer an unobstructed view of its surface composition and history.