Science

Measuring outer solar system ice-quakes could identify if Europa’s subsurface ocean is an oxygen-rich, leading candidates for life, or uncover the origin of Enceladus’ giant water plumes, says a team from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They propose that cryo-seismology techniques could also ‘explore’ Pluto’s own newly predicted subsurface sea. Artist’s …

Using images from NASA’s MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, planetary researchers have discovered a broad valley in the southern hemisphere of the planet Mercury. Using colorized topography, Mercury’s ‘great valley’ (dark blue) and Rembrandt impact basin (purple, upper right) are revealed in this high-resolution digital elevation …

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has captured another series of photos in its fifth orbit of the dwarf planet Ceres. This image of the limb of Ceres shows a section of the northern hemisphere. Prominently featured is Occator Crater. Dawn took this image on Oct. 17, 2016, at a distance of about …

The crash of the ExoMars Schiaparelli test lander, also known as Entry, descent, and landing Demonstrator Module (EDM), last month was caused by a sensor malfunction, experts at the European Space Agency (ESA) said Wednesday. Artist’s impression of the Schiaparelli lander after the parachute has been deployed. Image credit: ESA …

Frozen beneath Utopia Planitia, a large plain on Mars, lies about as much water as what’s in Lake Superior, according to an international team of planetary researchers. This image is an artist’s concept of a view looking down on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The spacecraft is pictured using its SHARAD …

Astronauts on long-duration flights experience visual impairments due to volume changes in cerebrospinal fluid, the clear fluid that helps cushion the brain and spinal cord while circulating nutrients and removing waste materials, according to a study led by Noam Alperin, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at the University of …

In the final year of its epic voyage, on Nov. 30, NASA’s Cassini orbiter will begin a daring set of ‘ring-grazing orbits,’ skimming past the outside edge of Saturn’s main rings. Artist’s concept of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft at Saturn. Image credit: NASA. Launched in 1997, Cassini has been touring the …

Using data from NASA’s TIMED satellite, scientists have discovered the existence of hot atomic hydrogen atoms in the thermosphere (from about 56 to 311 miles, or 90-500 km, above the surface), a layer of Earth’s atmosphere. The finding changes current understanding of the hydrogen distribution and its interaction with other …

On Dec. 4, 2016 at 8:09 a.m. EST (5:09 a.m. PST), NASA’s Cassini spacecraft made its first close dive past the outer edges of Saturn’s rings. This graphic shows the closest approaches of Cassini’s final two orbital phases. Ring-grazing orbits are shown in gray (at left); Grand Finale orbits are …

NASA’s Cassini orbiter has beamed back its first photos of the gas giant Saturn and the planet’s major moons since beginning the so-called ‘ring-grazing’ phase, the latest phase of its mission. This view from Cassini was obtained about half a day before its first close pass by the outer edges …