SUNSET: 
Curiosity Sees Seasonal Trends on Mars
During two Martian years, Curiosity tracks seasonal patterns in atmosphere, temperature, and maybe even methane.
S&T Live Webcast: Transit of Mercury
Join in Monday, May 9th, as tiny Mercury crosses the Sun's disk for the first time since 2006. S&T's exclusive video feeds and expert interviews will air throughout the 7½-hour event.
A Moon for Kuiper Belt's Makemake
Astronomers have been searching for companions to the distant dwarf planet Makemake for years. Finally, they've spotted one.
Saturn Moons Could Be Young
Planetary scientists have increasing reasons to think that some of the ringed giant’s moons are only 100 million years old.
Pluto's Atmosphere Confounds Researchers
Observations by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, combined with new modeling of long-term trends, suggest that Pluto's atmosphere is far more dynamic than anyone imagined.
Mars Gravity Map
By tracking deviations in spacecraft orbits, planetary scientists have created a high-resolution map of the Red Planet's gravitational pull.
The Mystery of Pluto's Floating Hills
Among its other geologic oddities, Pluto has clusters of hills floating in a frozen "sea" dominated by nitrogen ice. These bobbing bumps might hold clues to the plain's depth and evolution.
Making the Case for "Planet Nine"
Does a massive, extremely distant planet orbit the Sun? A new analysis of distant solar-system orbits argues that it should exist.
Martian Gullies: Triggered by Dry Ice?
Are enigmatic gullies seen on many steep Martian slopes caused by liquid water or instead by episodic coatings of frozen carbon dioxide?
NASA Nixes Launch of InSight in March 2016
A mechanical problem in the spacecraft's seismometer can't be fixed before the planned launch date, so NASA managers have postponed the mission until 2018.
NASA's Plans for Putting Humans on Mars
Scientists and engineers gathered together to figure out what would make a good Martian landing site and what hurdles they’ll have to overcome for a 2035 launch.
New Star and Exoplanet Names OK'd by IAU
Following a wildly popular contest, the International Astronomical Union has named 14 stars and 31 planets that orbit them.
Bright Spots on Ceres: Mystery Solved?
Results from NASA's Dawn spacecraft hint that the stark brightenings in and near scores of craters on Ceres might result from salty brines seeping onto the surface.
Japan’s Akatsuki Reaches Venus . . . At Last
Engineers executed an innovative contingency plan to save the Akatsuki spacecraft and place it in orbit around our sister planet.
Will Phobos Create a Ring Around Mars?
Dynamicists predict that the larger of Mars's two moons will shatter to create a ring, slam into the planet — or both — in 20 to 40 million years.
V774104: Solar System's Most Distant Object
An ultra-deep survey has turned up a sizable object situated nearly 10 billion miles from the Sun — more distant than any known solar-system object.
Where and When Will Rosetta Crash?
As ESA's comet orbiter enters its final year of operations, mission managers are deciding its fate.
Pluto's Cold Atmosphere and "Volcanoes"
Four months after New Horizons' historic flyby, mission scientists have been amazed by unexpected discoveries — and by how some preconceptions about Pluto were flat-out wrong.
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.
Mystery Object to Reenter Earth's Atmosphere
WT1190F will burn up over the Indian Ocean on November 13th, giving researchers an unprecedented opportunity to follow its path — and figure out where it came from.
