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Planets June 21, 2018

Why does Venus spin so weirdly?

For years, scientists have been unable to agree on the length of a day on Venus, but one new study might put an end to this confusion.

Planets June 14, 2018

3 baby alien planets detected around newborn star

Three exoplanets are in the process of being born around a young star that's not too far from the sun, two new studies report.

Planets June 11, 2018

How Jupiter is helping the hunt for habitable alien worlds

DENVER — Jupiter itself isn't a great candidate to host life, but the gas giant is playing a significant role in the search for habitable worlds.

OPINION June 9, 2018

Newest Mars discovery tells us something miraculous about Earth

More than any other planet in the solar system, Mars has always inspired speculation that it once had life and perhaps still does – if not little green men, then at least microbes. NASA’s much-hyped announcement this week about the Red Planet wasn’t earth-shattering, but it certainly keeps such conjecture alive.

Astronomy June 8, 2018

Did a neutron-star collision make a Black Hole?

In August 2017, for the first time ever, scientists spotted gravitational waves generated by the merger of two superdense stellar corpses known as neutron stars .

Mars June 7, 2018

Mars Curiosity rover's surprising finds from the Red Planet through the years

From animal-shaped rocks to key ingredients for life, NASA's Curiosity rover has made some interesting finds since it landed on Mars in August 2012.

Planets June 6, 2018

Earth's magnetic field is a ruthless, solar-wind-shredding machine

As Earth cruises through the black sea of space at about 67,000 mph (108,000 km/h), the planet's magnetic field pushes aside solar wind — the constant stream of plasma particles ejected by the sun — the same way the bow of a speeding motorboat pushes aside water. Scientists call this phenomenon "bow shock" because of its similarity to a ship surging through stubborn waves.

Planets June 5, 2018

Having multiple suns doesn't doom a planet to an early death

Luke Skywalker's backstory may not be so fanciful after all.

Planets June 4, 2018

NASA is about to have its closest encounter ever with dwarf planet Ceres

A NASA spacecraft is about to get up close and personal with Ceres, a giant asteroid that also happens to be the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system.

Planets June 1, 2018

Pluto has dunes, but they're not made of sand

Pluto is an uncanny-valley world, with landscapes and vistas that seem strikingly similar to those of Earth — until you take a closer look.

Planets May 25, 2018

Pluto may have formed from 1 billion comets

At its heart, Pluto may be a gigantic comet.