Space and planetary science – Page 5
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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
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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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ResearchMission accomplished for scientist who set out to bring astrobiology to Portugal
Zita Martins discusses her work searching for molecules related to the origin of life
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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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ResearchOptions expanded for origin of Earth’s water
Enstatite chondrite meteroites contain enough hydrogen to have supplied three to five times the total mass of water in Earth’s oceans
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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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PodcastHexasilabenzene
Brian Clegg discovers what a six-membered silicon ring can tell us about alien life
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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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ResearchYeast thriving in hydrogen hints at possibility of life on exoplanets
First demonstration of non-adapted microorganisms growing in 100% H2 shows that life could exist even under seemingly hostile conditions
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ResearchSpectroscopy from space lets satellites spy out ocean plastic patches
The technique could show where and how floating plastic patches form, and raise awareness of plastic pollution in the oceans
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ResearchSuperconductivity discovered in extra-terrestrial objects for the first time
Material in meteorites is likely to have formed under intense conditions
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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