What's up in
planetary science
Abstractions blog
A Close Look at Newborn Planets Reveals Hints of Infant Moons
Astronomers have discovered a complex planetary system still swirling into existence.
Abstractions blog
As Planet Discoveries Pile Up, a Gap Appears in the Pattern
Astronomers are puzzling over a paucity of planets in the galaxy measuring between 1.5 and two times Earth’s size.
chemistry
Black, Hot Ice May Be Nature’s Most Common Form of Water
A new experiment confirms the existence of “superionic ice,” a bizarre form of water that might comprise the bulk of giant icy planets throughout the universe.
Q&A
The Scientist Who Cooks Up the Skies of Faraway Worlds
Astronomers will soon take their first glance at the atmosphere of a distant exoplanet. Sarah Hörst is writing the guidebook for these exoplanetary explorers, one that will reveal what a distinctive atmosphere says about the world underneath.
planetary science
Asteroid Rate Jumped in Solar System’s Past
An analysis of lunar craters has found that we’ve been living in a relatively violent period in cosmic history.
Q&A
The Woman Who Gets Called When a Piece of Mars Falls From the Sky
Planetary geologist Meenakshi Wadhwa uses Martian meteorites to trace the history of our solar system.
Thinking Places
Ewine van Dishoeck, the Netherlander Who Traced Water’s Origin
The astrochemist and winner of the 2018 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics has wondered about the cosmic origin of water while enjoying Noordwijk beach near her hometown of Leiden.
astronomy
Interstellar Visitor Found to Be Unlike a Comet or an Asteroid
The mystery of ’Oumuamua, the first interstellar object ever observed, continues to deepen.
astrophysics
Planets Found to Be Larger Than the Disks They Come From
The new finding is challenging established theories of how planets come to be.