Researchers trace Mercury’s origins to rare meteorite
Experiments show planet cooled dramatically in half a billion years.
A twist on planetary origins
New study finds meteorites were byproducts of planetary formation, not building blocks.
3 Questions: Ben Weiss on the lunar dynamo
The moon’s molten, churning core likely once generated a dynamo.
‘Rogue’ asteroids may be the norm
A new map of the solar system’s asteroids shows more diversity than previously thought.
New technique measures mass of exoplanets
Method will help scientists determine the mass of exoplanets that are not measurable in any other way.
Asteroids' close encounters with Mars
Scientists find that Mars, not Earth, shakes up some near-Earth asteroids.
The moon’s face doesn’t tell its whole story
Researchers find that huge craters on the near side of the moon may overstate the intensity of asteroid impacts about 4.1 billion years ago.
Q&A: John Richardson and John Belcher on Voyager 1’s crossing and interstellar exploration
Beyond the solar system, a probe launched in 1977 is likely to find a cold, dense sea of cosmic rays.
New five-planet system contains two that are in the ‘habitable zone’
Potentially habitable planets are slightly larger than Earth.
Searching for solar systems like our own
Josh Winn’s hunt for exoplanets may someday reveal habitable, Earth-like worlds.
Mercury may have harbored an ancient magma ocean
Massive lava flows may have given rise to two distinct rock types on Mercury’s surface.
GRAIL reveals a battered lunar history
Twin spacecraft create a highly detailed gravity map of the moon, finding an interior pulverized by early impacts.
Scientists discover water ice on Mercury
Ice and organic material may have been carried to the planet by passing comets.
Scientists find first evidence of dynamo generation on an asteroid
A meteorite found in Antarctica holds evidence of a once-active dynamo on Vesta.
A far-off solar system
Researchers measure the orientation of a multiplanet system and find it very similar to our own solar system.