SUNSET: 
Some Plants Grow Well in Martian Soil
Astrobiology students cultivated leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and even hops in simulated Martian dirt.
Rosetta Finds Clues to Earth's “Xenon Paradox”
Xenon measured by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft has shed light on a long-standing mystery about the role comets played in Earth's formation.
How Hard Did It Rain on Ancient Mars?
Mars was once far wetter than it is now — but just how much rain fell, and when?
Enceladus: Hydrothermal Heating Confirmed
Astronomers have more evidence that the hidden ocean inside Saturn’s moon Enceladus is heated by hydrothermal activity.
Mars Lost Atmosphere to Space
NASA’s MAVEN mission has confirmed that the solar wind stripped the Red Planet of its atmosphere.
Seven-Planet Star Hides Age, Might Be Deadly
The star with seven exoplanets puts out enough high-energy radiation to tear away the inner planets’ atmospheres in a few billion years.
Seven Earth-Sized Planets Found Orbiting Dim Star
Astronomers have found seven Earth-sized planets around a cool red dwarf, all of which have the potential for liquid surface water.
Scientists Find Organics on Ceres
The Dawn spacecraft has detected organic compounds on the dwarf planet Ceres.
Proxima Centauri b Likely a Desert World
Astronomers suspect the Sun’s closest stellar neighbor desiccated its potentially rocky exoplanet, destroying the planet’s chances for habitability.
Top 12 Astronomy News Stories of 2016
From the discovery of gravitational waves to the building evidence that a massive planet could exist beyond Pluto, it has been a thrilling year for astronomy research. We recap.
Curiosity Tracks Mars’s Ancient Habitability
Curiosity scientists have tracked Gale Crater’s changing environment as it became more, then less, acidic over millions of years. Microbial life could have survived in these conditions.
Proxima Centauri Has Sun-Like Cycle
Observations confirm that the closest star to our solar system has a regular magnetic cycle similar to our Sun.
First Chiral Molecule Discovered in Space
The discovery of a chiral molecule in space has the potential to sort out one of the biggest mysteries in the chemistry of life.
Mars Losing Gas to Solar Wind
NASA’s Mars orbiter MAVEN has painted a detailed picture of how the solar wind robs the Red Planet of its atmosphere.
Cassini Flies Through Enceladus's Plume
On October 28th, the Cassini spacecraft took its deepest dive through the water plume spewing from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. It passed only 30 miles (50 kilometers) above the icy surface.
The Curious Case of KIC 8462852
The Kepler spacecraft recorded a bunch of irregular dimmings around one of its target stars, designated KIC 8462852. No natural phenomenon explains the dips well.
Waterlogged Salts on Mars
Scientists have confirmed that water-soaked salts likely create dark seasonal lines on Mars.
"Breakthrough Listen": Giant Leap for SETI
A $100 million donation will radically speed up the search for artificial signals from the nearest million stars — and from trillions of much farther stars in the 100 nearest galaxies.
The Glint of Martian Glass
Scientists have detected glass in Martian craters, created by the fierce heat of impacts that melted the Red Planet’s surface.
Fooling with the Universe
This year’s April Fools' provides a wealth of alarming results. Catch up on all the scientific shenanigans here.
