Planetary science – Page 3
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FeatureThe hellish chemistry of Venus’ atmosphere
The potential presence of phosphine on Venus is only the latest twist in the strange chemistry of our planetary neighbour, finds Clare Sansom
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ResearchLong-gone planets’ metal composition preserved as pollution around the dead stars that consumed them
Lithium pollution around white dwarf stars offers glimpse at the metal abundances on ancient rocky bodies
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ResearchIs there phosphine on Venus?
A software glitch and a new analysis of 50-year-old data are all helping to answer the question
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ResearchFirst definitive proof of water on the moon
Ice could be a resource for future lunar missions
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ResearchLiquid hydrogen rethink has astronomical implications
Machine learning simulates smooth transition between states, which could affect giant planets
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NewsPerseverance rover’s suite of chemical tools will search for signs of ancient life on Mars
Upgraded probe is better equipped to investigate the red planet
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FeatureDo asteroids hold the key to life on Earth?
A series of missions are set to reveal the hidden secrets of the asteroids. Nina Notman explores the science of space rocks
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ResearchMystery of where early Earth’s life-fuelling phosphates came from may have been solved
Meteorites have been source of building blocks for primordial life
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ResearchIron rain every evening on ultra-hot giant exoplanet
Spectral data shows iron condensing on planet’s nightside
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ResearchMetallic trihydrogen oxide could explain ice giants’ strange magnetic fields
Compound stable under extreme conditions might be source of Uranus’ and Neptune’s enigmatic magnetosphere
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ResearchCrystals reveal the site of the world’s oldest meteorite strike
Mineral chemistry suggests the massive impact 2.3 billion years ago could have made our entire planet much warmer
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ResearchMineral never before seen in nature found inside Australian meteorite
Black-and-red rock that fell to Earth 68 years ago contains iron carbide compound
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FeatureWhat is the moon made of?
Mike Sutton looks at what we’ve learned about the moon’s chemistry in the 50 years since Apollo 11
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ResearchImpact of extra-terrestrial glycine delivery could have created nucleobase precursors
Quantum simulations show that comets and other celestial bodies may have not only delivered building blocks for life to Earth, but also synthesised them on impact
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ResearchCaged gas blanket may explain why Pluto’s oceans are liquid
Ocean temperatures close to water’s freezing point may mean dwarf planet is hospitable to life
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ResearchViolent stellar collision near early solar system created actinides
A single neutron star merger produced almost all curium and plutonium that ever existed in the solar system
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NewsRover that will search for life on Mars named after Rosalind Franklin
Franklin rover will drill into red planet’s surface to look for evidence of life
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ResearchDwarf planet Ceres turns out to be extra-carbony
Asteroid belt’s largest object, thought to be a piece of rock, contains up to 20% carbon
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NewsBepiColombo satellites begin journey to Mercury
Mission hopes to shed some light on processes that may have shaped the early Earth
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PodcastBook Club – Losing the Nobel Prize
Physicist Brian Keating lost the Nobel Prize, then went on to re-evaluate its worth and examine how it could be improved