NILS Detects Negative Ions on Lunar Surface
The Negative Ions at the Lunar Surface (NILS) instrument onboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe has detected negative ions on the surface of the Moon. These ions are produced on the lunar…
Venus is Currently Volcanically Active, New Study Confirms
Using radar data from NASA’s Magellan mission, planetary scientists have detected volcanic-related flow features in two different regions of Venus: on the western flank of Sif Mons and in western…
Pluto’s Subsurface Ocean is 8% Denser than Seawater on Earth, Study Suggests
Planetary researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and the Lunar and Planetary Institute have used mathematical models and unprecedented high-resolution images from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft to take a…
Amalthea: Juno Captures Solar System’s Reddest Object
NASA’s Juno orbiter captured these views of the tiny, red moon Amalthea and its parent planet and during a close flyby on March 7, 2024. These views of Jupiter, captured…
Planetary Scientists Create Map of Ceres’ Cold Traps
The dwarf planet Ceres hosts permanently shadowed areas in its polar regions, and these regions are an interesting analog to Mercury and the Moon. Ceres’ permanently shadowed regions were mapped…
Cassini Observations Suggest Underground Ocean on Titan
Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, harbors an internal low-density ocean of water or ammonia, according to an analysis of archival data from NASA’s Cassini mission. Representation of Cassini’s orbits…
New Study Explains Why Venus is Extremely Dry
Despite its Earth-like size and source material, Venus is extremely dry, indicating near-total water loss to space. Using computer simulations, planetary scientists from the University of Colorado, Boulder and the…
Manganese-Rich Sandstones Point to Earth-Like Environment on Ancient Mars
In May 2017, NASA’s Curiosity rover observed higher than usual amounts of manganese in the lakebed rocks within Gale crater, Mars. These sedimentary rocks have larger grain sizes than what…
Mars Express Spots ‘Spiders’ at Outskirts of Martian ‘Inca City’
ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft have spotted the telltale traces of ‘spiders’ scattered across the southern polar region of Mars. This image of the Martian Inca City was captured by the…
Study: Jupiter’s Moon Io Has Been Volcanically Active for All of Its History
Sulfur and chlorine isotopes in Io’s atmosphere indicate that it has been volcanically active for the entire 4.57 billion-year history of the Solar System. This global view of Io was…