SUNSET: 
Europa Clipper Successfully Passed By Mars En Route to Jupiter
NASA’s Jupiter-bound Europa Clipper flew past Mars today, using the planet’s gravity to slow its speed around the Sun
Asteroid Won't Hit Earth, But Might Hit Moon — a Potential Science Bonanza
2024 YR4 is no longer a danger for Earth, and a (small) chance of a lunar impact could provide great science data.
Why Is Mars Red?
Martian dust is red because of rust — but the rust on Mars is not the same iron oxide mineral found on Earth.
European Solar Orbiter Traces Origin of Solar Wind
Using the Solar Orbiter, scientists think they’ve pinpointed the locations near the Sun where particles are thrown into the solar wind.
Ingredients of Life Discovered on Near-Earth Asteroid Bennu
Samples collected from the asteroid 101955 Bennu contain life’s key building blocks, scientists have found.
Newly Discovered Asteroid Has Slight Chance of Earth Impact in 2032
The discovery marks only the second time that an asteroid's impact risk has reached greater than a 1% chance.
Witness the First-ever Sight and Sound Recording of a Meteorite Impact
To our best knowledge, the fall of last summer's Charlottetown meteorite stands as the only video-and-audio recording of a meteorite impact.
Pluto and Charon May Have Formed in a “Kiss-and-Capture”
Pluto and Charon may have formed differently than we thought
New Mercury Images from BepiColombo's Flyby
The BepiColombo mission has sent back one last preview before it enters orbit around its final destination: Mercury.
Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) — Catch it if You Can
Grab your binoculars for a chance to see Comet ATLAS as it plunges toward perihelion.
Mars Extravaganza — Occultation and Opposition Rolled into One!
Mars is big and bright again! In a spectacular preview to its upcoming opposition, the full Moon occults the Red Planet on January 13th.
Parker Solar Probe Swings By Sun in Closest Approach Yet
A Christmas Eve pass will take the Parker Solar Probe closer to the Sun than ever before.
No Magma Ocean For Io, Jupiter’s Volcano-Covered Moon
Io, the innermost of Jupiter’s four largest Galilean moons, is covered with hundreds of volcanoes, some shooting lava fountains dozens of miles high. But what kind of interior could drive this magma fury? After NASA’s Juno orbiter made two close flyovers of Io, planetary scientists now think they know. Ever…
Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) Kicks off the New Year — What to Expect
The Southern Hemisphere should get a good show of Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3). Mid-northern latitude observers not so much.
Perseverance Reaches Rim of Jezero Crater
It’s been a long upward climb for NASA’s premier rover. But the commanding view — and the geology — were worth it.
Don't Let the Bright Moon Ruin Your Geminids
Strategies for making the most of this week's Moon-soaked Geminid meteor shower.
Webb Telescope Shows Unexpectedly Crowded Asteroid Belt
A new analysis of archival Webb telescope data reveals small asteroids in the main asteroid belt are far more numerous than thought.
Ancient Venus Didn’t Have Oceans After All
Astronomers have poured cold water on the idea that Venus once hosted oceans on its surface, suggesting instead that the planet's interior has been dry for most of its history.
Icy Rivers May Have Flowed on Ancient Mars
A polar cap of carbon-dioxide ice may have provided the thermal blanket needed for rivers and a huge lake to form in the planet’s southern highlands.
Makemake’s “Hot Spot”: Icy Volcano or Dusty Ring?
Even though it’s nearly 4½ billion miles from the Sun, far-flung Makemake has surprised observers with a warmer-than-expected temperature that is challenging to explain.
