Topic
Planetary science
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Making physics and astronomy more welcoming to African-American students
Report co-chaired by MIT professor cites need for “sweeping changes” in academic culture.
January 13, 2020 -
Scientists pin down timing of lunar dynamo’s demise
Findings suggest the moon’s magnetic field was produced by the fallout of a crystallizing iron core.
January 1, 2020 -
A sign that aliens could stink
A molecule that’s known for its smelly and poisonous nature on Earth may be a sure-fire sign of extraterrestrial life.
December 18, 2019 -
Collision course: A geological mystery in the Himalayas
MIT geologists use paleomagnetism to determine the chain of events that resulted in the Himalayan mountains, with the support of MISTI-India.
October 28, 2019 -
Computing and the search for new planets
MIT planetary scientists partner with computer scientists to find exoplanets.
September 23, 2019 -
TESS team is awarded NASA's Silver Achievement Medal
The honor recognizes the "stellar achievement" of the people behind the exoplanet-seeking satellite.
September 12, 2019 -
For first time, astronomers catch asteroid in the act of changing color
Asteroid is likely shedding reddish dust, revealing a fresh, blue surface beneath.
August 29, 2019 -
A battery-free sensor for underwater exploration
Submerged system uses the vibration of “piezoelectric” materials to generate power and send and receive data.
August 20, 2019 -
Rocky, Earth-sized exoplanet is missing an atmosphere
Study reports on search for an atmosphere around a planet somewhat similar to ours.
August 19, 2019 -
TESS discovers three new planets nearby, including temperate “sub-Neptune”
Planetary system orbiting an unusually quiet star is ideal for future habitability searches.
July 29, 2019 -
3Q: Julien de Wit on searching for red worlds in the northern skies
MIT has completed the installation of its newest exoplanet-hunting telescope, Artemis, in the Canary Islands, joining the SPECULOOS network.
June 20, 2019 -
How to detect life on Mars
Scientists from the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Genomes instrument team develop method to detect the tiniest traces of life on other planetary bodies.
June 17, 2019 -
Maria Zuber awarded the Gerard P. Kuiper Prize in Planetary Sciences
Honor recognizes scientists whose achievements have most advanced our understanding of planetary systems.
May 31, 2019 -
MIT, Blue Origin to cooperate on sending research experiment to the moon
MIT community input will help determine the focus of the study to be carried aboard Blue Moon lander.
May 10, 2019 -
TESS discovers its first Earth-sized planet
Orbiting a nearby star, the new planet is the smallest identified so far by the TESS mission.
April 16, 2019 -
Earliest life may have arisen in ponds, not oceans
Study finds shallow bodies of water were probably more suitable for Earth’s first life forms.
April 12, 2019 -
Lighting up exoplanets
The Heising-Simons Foundation selects Clara Sousa-Silva and Benjamin Rackham for 51 Pegasi b Fellowships at MIT.
March 27, 2019 -
MIT celebrates 50th anniversary of historic moon landing
Symposium featuring former astronauts and other Apollo mission luminaries examines the program’s legacy.
March 15, 2019 -
Tectonics in the tropics trigger Earth’s ice ages, study finds
Major tectonic collisions near the equator have caused three ice ages in the last 540 million years.
March 14, 2019 -
Engineers program marine robots to take calculated risks
Algorithm could help autonomous underwater vehicles explore risky but scientifically-rewarding environments.
January 30, 2019