SUNSET: 
No Planet Nine? Small-body Pile-up Could Explain Odd Orbits
New research shows that interactions between small objects beyond Neptune’s orbit —and not a hypothetical Planet Nine — could be the reason some far-flung solar system objects “detach” from their original orbits.
Methane and Other Organics on Mars
The Curiosity rover has detected organic molecules in ancient rocks on Mars.
Curiosity Rover is Drilling Again
An innovative technique has allowed NASA's Curiosity Rover to resume drilling Martian rocks. But the partially successful test shows that more work remains to be done.
Why Are the Galilean Moons So Massive?
Scientists propose that Saturn’s meddling helped create the four giant Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter.
Dunes on Pluto
Planetary scientists think they’ve found wind-built ripples of methane ice on the king of the Kuiper Belt.
Known Close Stellar Encounters Surge in Number
A new analysis of our stellar neighborhood reveals 7 times as much nearby stellar traffic as previously known.
Did This Wrong-way Asteroid Come from Beyond the Solar System?
An intriguing asteroid was spotted traveling backwards around Jupiter back in 2015. Now a team of researchers think it could have formed around another star.
Helicopter to Hitch a Ride with Mars 2020 Rover
A small helicopter will be the first mission to fly through the skies of Mars.
NASA's Galileo Measures Plumes on Jupiter's Moon Europa
A new analysis of decades-old data from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft, which reached the Jupiter system in 1995, shows the best evidence yet for plumes from the icy moon Europa.
Mars-bound CubeSats Launch With NASA's InSight
The Mars Cube One mission — the first to send CubeSats into interplanetary space — will test revolutionary relay technologies as it accompanies Mars Insight to the Red Planet.
NASA's InSight Lander Heads to Mars
Rising through thick fog from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA's latest mission intends to probe deeply into Mars and decipher how it formed.
Mud Cracks on Mars Reveal Lake's History
Curiosity spotted polygonal shapes on the surface of rocks on Mars — now, analysis of these mud cracks is revealing the history of the long-ago lake that once filled Gale Crater.
Pluto's Moon Charon Receives Formal Names
The International Astronomical Union has approved names for features on Pluto's largest moon, Charon.
Is ‘Oumuamua an Interstellar Pancake?
A new analysis of more than 800 telescopic observations suggests that our first known interstellar visitor could have the shape of a cigar or a fat disk.
Hubble: Weather Watcher of the Outer Solar System
Hubble's powerful eye scouts the outer planets once an Earth year, shedding light on planetary weather, like Jupiter's Great Red Spot and Neptune's Great Dark Spot.
Amazing Storms, Jet Streams on Jupiter
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has found breathtaking cyclones at Jupiter’s poles and probed how deep the planet’s jet streams go.
Rocket Barrage to Study Northern Lights
A series of 11 sounding rocket flights from two remote locations in the Arctic circle will help unlock the secrets of the processes behind the Northern Lights.
Could a Giant Impact Have Vaporized Earth to Create the Moon?
In a new twist on the giant impact theory, a new idea posits that the Moon might have formed from the vaporized remains of Earth after an epic collision with another planet-sized body.
Chorus Waves Drive the Beat for Pulsating Northern Lights
Scientists have finally confirmed a decades-old theory on what causes the faint flickering seen in the Northern Lights toward dawn.
Asteroid 2018 CB Zips by Earth Friday: Watch it Online
Newly-discovered asteroid 2018 CB will be passing only about 44,000 miles away Friday and visible in modest telescopes.
