China has just returned the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon
The far side of the moon looks very different from the near side, and with the Chang'e 6 mission, scientists are hoping to learn why.
planetary science
Asteroid headed toward Earth? NASA simulation explores how the nation might respond
NASA and other federal agencies recently did a tabletop simulation of an Earth-threatening asteroid to see how they'd handle it
Don't look so blue, Neptune: Now astronomers know this planet's true color
Neptune has long been depicted as a deeper, darker blue than its fellow ice giant Uranus, but a new study shows that both are a similar shade of light greenish blue.
Clouds made of sand make for a strange kind of rain on this hot planet
On Earth, clouds and rain are made of water. But the James Webb Space Telescope has found that on a planet called WASP-107b, the rain and clouds are made of sand.
This next NASA mission to an asteroid is seriously metal
A NASA mission called Psyche is about to launch on a mission out to an unusual asteroid that's scientists believe is largely composed of metal.
NASA effort to bring home asteroid rocks will end this weekend in triumph or a crash
NASA's first effort to retrieve samples from an asteroid will send a capsule that contains extraterrestrial pebbles and dust plunging towards a Utah desert on Sunday.
This star ate its own planet. Earth may share the same fate
For the first time, astronomers have caught a star in the act of swallowing a planet, providing a glimpse into how the sun may eventually eat up Earth.
Scientists think they know why interstellar object 'Oumuamua moved so strangely
A strange comet-like object discovered over five years ago was the first known visitor from another solar system. Its movement was so odd that scientists struggled to explain it, until now.
Volcanic activity on Venus spotted in radar images, scientists say
Data from an old NASA spacecraft reveals a volcano erupted on the surface of Venus in 1991, a new study in Science says.
Astronomers still have their eyes on that asteroid NASA whacked
NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test slammed a spacecraft into an asteroid, directly altering its path through space. Scientists are still studying the space rock to learn more.