Topic: Solar Systems
Flood of Mars Science from Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

Flood of Mars Science from Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

by | Mar 24, 2025 |

Artist's depiction of MARS missions (Image credit: NASA) During the week of March 10, the Planetary Science community gathered in The Woodlands, Texas, a suburb of Houston - and also in Zoom - as we watched dozens and dozens of presentations on everything from tomorrow’s planned missions to today’s latest research results. I was one of the many folks on Zoom, so I was missing the between-sessions gossip, but I can bring you the science. And since the panels are all still up for attendees to rewatch to their hearts’ delight, this may be a multi-week review of what all I have learned and will...

read more

Get ad-free podcasts &
exclusive content by
joining our Patreon.

Closer Look: Mars is the Future

Closer Look: Mars is the Future

by | Sep 6, 2024 | ,

Since Mars Spirit and Opportunity first set down on Mars in 2004, there has been a continuous robotic presence on the Red Planet. The Phoenix and Insight Landers have answered specific questions about Mars composition and interior, while a small herd of rovers have...

When Orbits Go Weird

When Orbits Go Weird

by | Aug 14, 2024 |

orbital path of transiting exoplanet TIC 241249530 b As of the day of this recording, Aug 8, 2024, more than 5600 exoplanets have been discovered orbiting more than 4000 alien stars. Within these systems we are regularly finding things our experiences with our own...

JWST Catches Difference in Sunrise and Sunset

JWST Catches Difference in Sunrise and Sunset

by | Aug 14, 2024 |

an artist's concept of the exoplanet WASP-43b Anyone who likes to exercise outside can tell you the sunrise side of the day is far cooler than the evening twilight. Here on Earth, with our rotating world, this is easy to understand. Throughout the night, our planet...

Titan’s Lakes May Have Shoreline Erosion

Titan’s Lakes May Have Shoreline Erosion

by | Jul 23, 2024 |

Image Credit: Cassini Mission Here on Earth we often talk about planetary analogues. These are areas where the landscape here on our planet is geological similar to other worlds. There are regions in the Atacama desert, for instance, that are very similar to Mars. ...

Lava Lakes on Io Images in Infrared

Lava Lakes on Io Images in Infrared

by | Jul 23, 2024 |

I don’t think there is an astronomer who doesn’t love a pretty high resolution image of …well… pretty much anything in space. Give me a crisp clear galaxy, or a nebula, or even a quiet frost field on another planet and I will happily stare at the pretty picture. But...

Jupiter’s Not-enduring Red Spot

Jupiter’s Not-enduring Red Spot

by | Jul 23, 2024 |

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Justin Cowart It turns out, Jupiter likes to have giant red spots, but it doesn’t always have the same giant red spot. New research led by Agustin Sanchez-Lavega and appearing in Geophysical Research letters...