Planetary Science

“Keep your eye on the ball” is a motto for many athletes—and for astronomers trying to find Earth-threatening space rocks

The possibility of the asteroid 2024 YR4 impacting our planet might not be ruled out until 2028, raising the prospect we’ll need to prepare for the worst

The number of planets that orbit the sun depends on what you mean by “planet,” and that’s not so easy to define

Material retrieved from the asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft shows that all the basic building blocks of life were astonishingly widespread in the early solar system

This year, from Earth’s perspective, Saturn’s rings will appear nearly edge on, making them almost invisible

Peculiar bursts of energy called chorus waves have been detected in deep space far from our planet, suggesting they could pose problems for long-distance space travel

NASA sees two paths for saving its beleaguered plan to retrieve materials from the Red Planet but won’t choose between them until 2026

Pluto and its largest moon Charon could have come together via a 10-hour “kiss-and-capture” encounter after a grazing collision

The moon may have melted 4.35 billion years ago—explaining a lunar age mystery

Material from asteroid Ryugu riddled with earthly microbes provides a cautionary tale for scientists seeking signs of alien life

If there’s a hidden world in the solar system, a new telescope should find it

“Twilight rays” are but one of several viewing treats for the liminal time between day and night