Planetary science – Page 2
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ResearchLunar soil shows promise as a catalyst for extraterrestrial photosynthesis
Moon rock could one day be used to accelerate water splitting and carbon dioxide conversion in space to support crewed missions
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ResearchDimethyl ether found in a planet-forming disc for the first time
Discovery of dimethyl ether, nitric oxide and other small molecules offers insight into early chemical evolution on planets
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NewsEurope’s Mars rover faces launch delays due to sanctions on Russia
Mars probe is ‘very unlikely’ to launch in 2022 due to deteriorating relationship between Europe and Russia after invasion of Ukraine
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ResearchFreefall flights test feasibility of making oxygen on the moon and Mars
Efficiency of water electrolysis is reduced at lower gravity
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FeatureDrilling deep to discover the secrets of the mantle
Nina Notman hears from the scientists trying to pierce the Earth’s crust below the seafloor to learn more about our home planet
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ResearchAncient Mars meteorites’ organic chemistry cracked – and it’s not alien microbes
Study uncovers geochemical processes that formed organic compounds millions of years ago, at a time when the red planet still had liquid water
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ResearchMysterious nitrogen ice patterns on Pluto linked to sublimation
Scientists use modelling to show that sublimation of nitrogen ice fuels convection in Pluto’s Sputnik Planitia impact crater by cooling its surface
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ResearchThe sun may have been the surprising source of Earth’s water
Dust grains pounded by solar wind and then delivered to Earth are a significant source of the planet’s oceans
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NewsAirbus to build Ariel telescope to examine exoplanets' chemical composition
European Space Agency’s mission to study chemical composition of 1000 exoplanets will launch in 2029
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NewsJames Webb Space Telescope poised to provide insight into chemical evolution of universe
Launch later this month could provide new understanding of exoplanets and the origins of heavier elements
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NewsNasa makes plans to return to Venus to probe the hellish chemistry of its atmosphere
Probe set to launch in 2029 may be able to establish whether life ever existed there and answer the phosphine question
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ResearchMethane mystery on Saturn’s moon rekindles search for life on other planets
Researchers struggle to explain suspicious amounts of methane on Enceladus while a new chapter opens in the debate around the source of Venus’s phosphine. Why is it so hard to decide what counts as a sign of life?
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CareersExploring the space economy
In the words of Jean-Luc Picard, ‘things are only impossible until they are not’
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ResearchMolecular complexity index could help find proof of alien life
Is it microbes on Venus or just lifeless planetary processes? Discovery could help scientists identify life on other planets
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ResearchMeteorites show modern Mars’ subsurface has ingredients to support life
Terrestrial chemistry that sustains microbial life deep underground appears to be occurring on the Red Planet too
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ResearchGeochemists uncover evidence of massive Antarctic meteorite explosion 430,000 years ago
Airburst event spread material across most of Antarctica
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ResearchExoplanet’s chemical fingerprint suggest a distant birthplace
Unexpectedly high levels of carbon on Osiris indicate an intriguing past
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ResearchA glimpse at alien volcanoes that spew metal
Hypothetical ferrovolcanoes explored with world’s only lava flow simulator
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ResearchSuper-slippery 2D material could be ideal lubricant for planetary rovers
Metal carbide material is significantly better lubricant than oils
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NewsFirst detection of hydrogen chloride gas on Mars
Discovery by ExoMars Orbiter of a new chemical cycle driven by dust and seasonal changes