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Artemis II and III: The science that brings us back to the Moon
This week on Planetary Radio, Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Kelsey Young, Artemis Science Flight Operations Lead and lead of the Artemis II Lunar…
Trump Administration declares pristine Alaskan seafloor “open for business,” mocks environmental safeguards - Greenpeace
At a time of accelerating ocean, climate, and biodiversity crisis, the priority should be on protecting these ecosystems, not opening new frontiers of extraction.
DeAPlaneta Entertainment Previews 2026 Slate at Spielwarenmesse
Series launches, franchise expansions, and a licensing portfolio are shared at Nuremberg.
Empowering NASA's Earth Science Fleet
A Plea to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, from Planet Earth
NASA Resumes Efforts to Reestablish Contact With MAVEN
As spacecraft and rovers at Mars emerge from solar conjunction – a period when the Red Planet and Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun and contact with Mars
Should you eat invasive species? We asked an ecologist.
Tuck into some kudzu dip or feral hog sausage—they're delicious and good for the planet.
“Stars like the Sun don’t just stop shining,” but this one did
A distant Sun-like star suddenly went dark for months, stunning astronomers who quickly realized something massive was passing in front of it. Observations revealed a gigantic disk of gas and dust filled with vaporized metals, swirling around an unseen companion object. For the first time, scientists directly measured the motion of these metallic winds inside such a disk. The findings suggest that even ancient star systems can still experience catastrophic planetary smashups.
(Rescheduled from Jan 26) Behind the Science: Herbivores That Chewed Through Time: How Insects and Pathogens Responded to Earth’s Biggest Events
Announcing a new After-Hours series at the National Museum of Natural History: Behind the Science A monthly after-hours series featuring NMNH scientists and researchers Each month, join the National Museum of Natural History for the new series, Behind the Science, where NMNH researchers share insights into their latest discoveries and explore the fascinating questions driving their work—from the origins of life to the future of our planet. Come learn what’s happening behind the scenes and how science shapes our understanding of the natural world. Programs take place in Q?rius, the Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center. Topics and speakers announced on a rolling basis, but save the dates now! February 10 (RESCHEDULED FROM JAN 26): Conrad Labandeira, Paleobiology The leaves of plants are everywhere. They provide the primary documentation of insect and pathogen feeding styles – or herbivory – on plants in the modern and fossil records. Leaves also are the most abundant, macroscopic item in the fossil record during the past 400 or so million years. During the past 25 years, studies of insect and pathogen damage on fossil and modern leaves have addressed the response of herbivores to major events of the fossil record. These events include, in chronological order, the origin of herbivory itself, the appearance of seed plants, the profound ecological crisis at the end of the Paleozoic, the appearance of flowering plants, the profound ecological crisis at the end of the Mesozoic, and a major change in the global climate 56 million years ago. Let’s put damaged, fossil leaves to work in helping us to understand how insect and pathogen herbivores have historically transformed the world we live in. Upcoming Dates: Jan. 26: Feb. 10: Conrad Labandeira, Paleobiologist Mar. 10: Briana Pobiner, Anthropologist Apr. 14 May 11 Jun. 9 Jul. 14 Aug. 11 Sep. 15 Oct. 13 Nov. 10 Dec. 8
Want to Fight for Science? Look to South Dakota. No, Really.
Nature this week offers a series of terrifying, interactive graphs detailing the Trump Administration’s Idiocratic War on Science. Not only has it butchered federal scientific research grants, but as you can see in this graphic, it has hollowed out the federal scientific workforce – the dedicated professionals who develop data to allow for science-informed policy … Continue reading "Want to Fight for Science? Look to South Dakota. No, Really."
Strange Metal From Beyond Our Planet Spotted in Ancient Treasure Stash
More precious than gold.
Blind, slow and 500 years old – or are they? How scientists are unravelling the secrets of Greenland sharks
Described by one researcher as looking ‘already dead’, the enigmatic creatures are one of the least understood species on the planet
How a Concord science museum has helped honor Christa McAuliffe's legacy
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is one part of McAuliffe's legacy. Jeanne Gerulskis, former executive director of the museum, remembers its humble beginnings as a small planetarium in the 1990s.
NASA quietly ends financial support for planetary science groups
The space agency will quit funding several independent science advisory groups this year
NASA to end support for planetary science groups
NASA is ending financial support for several planetary science groups as part of a broader drawdown of the agency’s advisory structure.
Life’s chemistry may begin in the cold darkness of space
New experiments reveal that protein precursors can form naturally in deep space under extreme cold and radiation. Scientists found that simple amino acids bond into peptides on interstellar dust, long before stars and planets exist. This challenges the idea that complex life chemistry only happens on planets. It also boosts the odds that life-friendly ingredients are widespread across the universe.
The Future of the Planetary Science Analysis and Assessment Groups (AGs)
The Future of the Planetary Science Analysis and Assessment Groups (AGs)
Billionaires are 4,000 times more likely to hold public office
The richest people on the planet are far more likely to be in power politically than everyone else, Oxfam’s annual inequality report found.
No More Support For NASA SMD Planetary Science Division Analysis and Assessment Groups
No More Support For NASA SMD Planetary Science Division Analysis and Assessment Groups
The Ring Nebula is hiding a giant structure made of iron
A huge bar of iron has been discovered lurking inside the iconic Ring Nebula. The structure is enormous, spanning hundreds of times the size of Pluto’s orbit and containing a Mars-sized amount of iron. It was detected using a new instrument that allowed astronomers to map the nebula in far greater detail than ever before. The origin of the iron bar is still a mystery, with one theory suggesting it could be the remains of a vaporized planet.
Strange discovery offers 'missing link' in planet formation: 'This fundamentally changes how we think about planetary systems'
A decade of observations of four planets around the young planetary system V1298 Tau revealed a rare, long-sought missing link in planet formation.
Mars: Scientists Have Figured Out How Blue The Red Planet Used to Be
Where did it all go?
Astronomers finally find an atmosphere around a rocky exoplanet - Futura-Sciences
From Io’s volcanoes to Enceladus’s geysers, our Solar System is a study in contrasts. The exoplanet realm is just as rich—and scientists are hunting for signs of life or, at least, clues to how life ... Read more
Letter from the NASA Planetary Science Director: the Future of the Planetary Science Analysis and Assessment Groups (AGs)
A Letter from the NASA Planetary Science Director, Dr. Louise M. Prockter: the Future of the Planetary Science Analysis and Assessment Groups (AGs)
The Politics Of Planetary Color
Color once taught us to see and value our planet. It now records how we are altering it.
Hubble's Album of Planet-Forming Disks
This collection of images taken by Hubble showcases protoplanetary disks, the swirling masses of gas and dust that surround forming stars.
Sports for People and Planet
The $2.3 trillion global sports economy is experiencing robust growth, with annual revenues projected to reach $8.8 trillion by 2050. However, factors such as rising levels of physical inactivity and escalating environmental challenges could erode up to $1.6 trillion in annual revenue by mid-century. The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Oliver Wyman, has developed this insight report to highlight the urgent social and economic imperative for coordinated public–private action to secure the sector’s long-term resilience, presenting transformative, multistakeholder pathways and innovative case studies.This approach ensures that the future of sport remains competitive and inspiring, while also being sustainable and inclusive for people and the planet alike.
Rocks and rolls: The computational infrastructure of earthquakes and physics of planetary science
Sometimes to truly study something up close, you have to take a step back. That's what Andrea Donnellan does. An expert in Earth sciences and seismology, she gets much of her data from a bird's-eye view, ...
Scientists discover what’s linking floods and droughts across the planet
Scientists tracking Earth’s water from space discovered that El Niño and La Niña are synchronizing floods and droughts across continents. When these climate cycles intensify, far-apart regions can become unusually wet or dangerously dry at the same time. The study also found a global shift about a decade ago, with dry extremes becoming more common than wet ones. Together, the results show that water crises are part of a global pattern, not isolated events.
When the oceans died and life changed forever
A rapid climate collapse during the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction devastated ocean life and reshuffled Earth’s ecosystems. In the aftermath, jawed vertebrates gained an unexpected edge by surviving in isolated marine refuges. Over millions of years, they diversified into many forms while competitors faded away. This ancient reset helped determine which creatures would dominate the planet ever after.
The electrifying science behind Martian dust
Mars, often depicted as a barren red planet, is far from lifeless. With its thin atmosphere and dusty surface, it is an energetic and electrically charged environment where dust storms and dust devils ...
Interplanetary science needs a commercial backbone
Interplanetary science needs a commercial backbone
Science army mobilizes to map U.S. soil microbiome
Massive endeavor including Hopkins researchers and students aims to understand the planet's most biodiverse habitats
Science seeks keys to human longevity in the genetic mixing of Brazilian supercentenarians
A study of 160 people over a century old includes some of the oldest humans on the planet
The moon has been secretly feasting on Earth's atmosphere for billions of years
A new study reveals that tiny fragments of Earth's atmosphere are transported to and absorbed by the moon via gusts of solar wind and our planet's magnetic field, upending a 20-year-old theory based on NASA's Apollo lunar samples.
Tricorder Tech For Everyone: NASA's STELLA Open Science Instrument
Keith’s note: NASA has just authored a paper on a new way for people with a wide variety of interests to use – and build – sensor technology that is a preview of the devices we will use to explore other planets. How will we develop these instruments – sensors, tricorders, scanners, smartphones – call them what you will is now underway at NASA. There is a vibrant citizen science […]
Tricorder Tech For Everyone: NASA's STELLA Open Science Instrument
NASA has just authored apaper on a new way for people with a wide variety of interests to use - and build - sensor technology that is a preview of the devices we will use to explore other planets.
Did a planet just vanish? Scientists witness a rare cosmic collision
What seemed like new planets around Fomalhaut were actually expanding dust clouds from violent planetary collisions seen by Hubble.
What the US strike in Venezuela means for gas prices and the largest proven oil reserve on the planet
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been captured and flown out of the country following a largescale US strike on Caracas, leaving behind uncertainty for the country – and its massive oil reserves.
Colossal Athletes Fill These Modern Arenas
COSM, a company once focused on planetarium displays, is immersing sports fans with giant screens and desirable angles.
Scientists Just Clocked a ‘Rogue’ Planet the Size of Saturn
Astronomers just measured the mass of a free-floating planet without a star for the first time
There is as much life left to discover on planet Earth as that which is already known
Around 16,000 new species are described each year, but most animals and plants are listed as threatened as soon as they are brought to light
NASA’s Webb telescope just discovered one of the weirdest planets ever
A newly discovered exoplanet is rewriting the rules of what planets can be. Orbiting a city-sized neutron star, this Jupiter-mass world has a bizarre carbon-rich atmosphere filled with soot clouds and possibly diamonds at its core. Its extreme gravity stretches it into a lemon shape, and it completes a full orbit in under eight hours. Scientists are stunned — no known theory explains how such a planet could exist.
January stargazing: A supermoon, asteroid, and one very large planet
The Wolf Moon rises on January 3.
From science to sport: These are the stories that lifted spirits in 2025
Amid conflicts and crises, 2025 also brought reasons for optimism, medical breakthroughs, encouraging signs for the planet and sporting and cultural surprises. As the world heads into 2026, FRANCE 24…
The spiders on the icecaps of Mars
Astrobiologists think they could point to more habitable areas on the red planet
Michigan Science Center's planetarium reno will rocket you into space
Renovations to the Michigan Science Center's planetarium allows the center to offer more immersive shows.
Arts & Entertainment January 2026
• The Planets and Beyond! • Paint Watercolor Trees With Confidence • Oak Hills Squares Dance Lessons • Village Gallery of Arts January 2026 • The Reser Presents 2025–26 Season
How has our unalienable right to a healthy planet become political?
Human life is intimately connected with the rest of nature.
Wild things we learned about Earth in 2025
With findings on Earth’s polar extremes and its innermost core, scientists shaped how we look at the planet in 2025 in surprising and fascinating ways.
Emma Johnston was a visionary scientist, environmentalist and leader, with an abiding hope for humanity
The University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, who has died aged 52, was driven by a deep love of science and a desire to safeguard the planet’s future.
The Guardian view on the new space race: humanity risks exporting its old politics to the moon
Editorial: Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look skyward, where a new lunar contest mirrors humanity’s struggle to live within planetary limits
Mercury: The planet that shouldn't exist
Mercury has long baffled astronomers because it defies much of what we know about planet formation. A new space mission arriving in 2026 might solve the mystery.
2025: The science stories that stopped us in our tracks
From ancient footprints to planet parades, 2025 science amazed us with discoveries on Earth and beyond.
'What the heck is this?' James Webb telescope spots inexplicable planet with diamonds and soot in its atmosphere
Scientists using the James Webb telescope observed a distant exoplanet with an atmosphere of soot and diamonds, challenging all explanations.
Scientists from UChicago, other institutions discover bizarre lemon-shaped planet orbiting neutron star
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4750-4762: See You on the Other Side of the Sun
Written by Lucy Thompson, Planetary Scientist and APXS team member, University of New Brunswick, Canada
Subaru Telescope reveals a hidden giant planet
Astronomers have uncovered a massive hidden planet and a rare “failed star” by combining ultra-precise space data with some of the sharpest ground-based images ever taken. Using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaiʻi, the OASIS survey tracked subtle stellar wobbles to pinpoint where unseen worlds were lurking—then captured them directly.
Collaboration drives Telluride Science
Collaboration sits at the heart of Telluride Science’s mission, uniting global thought leaders to solve societal and planetary challenges.
Global warming could trigger the next ice age
Scientists have uncovered a missing feedback in Earth’s carbon cycle that could cause global warming to overshoot into an ice age. As the planet warms, nutrient-rich runoff fuels plankton blooms that bury huge amounts of carbon in the ocean. In low-oxygen conditions, this process can spiral out of control, cooling Earth far beyond its original state. While this won’t save us from modern climate change, it may explain Earth’s most extreme ancient ice ages.
Transformational Astrophysics And Exoplanet Science With Habitable Worlds Observatory's High Resolution Imager
Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will be NASA's flagship space telescope of the 2040s
Science with Stevie: Winter Solstice
Meteorologist Stevie Daniels explains what the winter solstice is and how it impacts various areas on planet earth in this Science with Stevie segment!
Science Quiz: Sea Turtle Sex and Fruit-Shaped Planets
Put your science knowledge to the test with this week’s news quiz. Play now.
NASA Webb Telescope Discovers Lemon-Shaped Planet, the ‘Stretchiest’ Ever Seen
An unusual object orbiting a rapidly spinning star might be a new phenomenon in the universe.
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4743-4749: Polygons in the Hollow
Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
New Hubble images may solve the case of a disappearing exoplanet
A massive collision between two asteroid-sized bodies around a nearby star offers a rare look at the violent process of planetary construction.
A new hunt for an Earth analog begins
The Terra Hunting Experiment will track the wobbles of dozens of stars nightly for years in the most focused hunt yet for an Earth twin.
NASA’s Webb Observes Exoplanet Whose Composition Defies Explanation
Scientists using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have observed a rare type of exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system, whose atmospheric composition
Northwest researchers find 6-million-year-old ice — the oldest on Earth
To find the oldest ice on the planet researchers had to go somewhere that’s been cold for a long time — where the ice builds up in layers instead of melting away.
Book Review: ‘Free Gifts: Capitalism and the Politics of Nature’
'Free Gifts' is a book for deep thinkers wishing to delve into the ideas that formed our society and are now remaking the physical planet.
JWST Catches Record-Breaking Planet Sprouting Two Enormous Tails
Tylos is one weird world.
People and planet: How human and planetary health are deeply connected
The health of people and the planet are inextricably intertwined, with time spent in nature positively improving our lives and inspiring us to help keep Earth healthy.
Scientists Find the Strongest Evidence Yet of an Atmosphere on a Molten Rocky Exoplanet
Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have detected the strongest evidence yet for an atmosphere on a rocky planet outside our solar system. Observations of the ultra-hot super-Earth TOI-561 b suggest that the exoplanet is surrounded by a thick blanket of gases above a global magma ocean.
Supernova immersion model suggests Earth-like planets are more common in the universe
Rocky planets like our Earth may be far more common than previously thought, according to new research published in the journal Science Advances. It suggests that when our solar system formed, a nearby ...
Beneath the icy face of Alaska, a long theorized ‘connector fault’ may be revealed in the wake of major earthquake
After a magnitude 7 earthquake ripped under Hubbard Glacier earlier this month, scientists believe a “connector fault” may exist between established cuts in the thick planetary crust.
Michigan Science Center debuts "moonshot" planetarium renovation
After a year-long renovation, the Michigan Science Center reopened its planetarium Friday, showcasing technology upgrades and a new flagship show.
Michigan Science Center unveils brand new planetarium with 8K projection
Guests experience a demonstration of the Michigan Science Center's newly renovated planetarium during a VIP preview event on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 in Detroit.
Flandrau Planetarium and Science Center celebrates 50 years of curiosity
The building now hosts exhibits ranging from space satellites to great white sharks.
Scientists have been studying the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 e. Could it harbor alien life? : Short Wave
Want to be a top notch candidate for hosting alien life? Then there's a few key requirements you should be aware of: Ideally, you're a large object like a moon or a planet; scientists suspect you also have an atmosphere and water; plus, you should orbit your star from a nice mid-range distance — in the "Goldilocks Zone" of habitability. Until recently, you would be competing against TRAPPIST-1 e. It's a planet outside of our solar system. TRAPPIST-1 e is also only 40 light years away, rocky and the same size as Earth, which prompted researchers to investigate whether it also has an atmosphere — and the potential for alien life. A team of researchers has been investigating TRAPPIST-1 e to learn more about its potential. Their answers, recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, say a lot not just about this exoplanet, but about how scientists should refocus their hunt for alien life.Interested in more space science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Flandrau Planetarium and Science Center celebrates 50 years of curiosity
The building now hosts exhibits ranging from space satellites to great white sharks.
NASA’s Webb Detects Thick Atmosphere Around Broiling Lava World
Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have detected the strongest evidence yet for an atmosphere on a rocky planet outside our solar system, as
Scientists discover a new state of matter at Earth’s center
New research reveals that Earth’s solid inner core is actually in a superionic state, where carbon atoms flow freely through a solid iron lattice. This unusual behavior makes the core soft, matching seismic observations that have puzzled scientists for decades. The mobility of these light elements may also contribute energy to Earth’s magnetic field. The findings reshape models of Earth’s interior and could apply to other rocky planets.
Galleries - Ames Earth Science
Earth Science (SG) Landing – Menu BarHomeWho We AreWho We AreEarth Science Division (SG)Biospheric Science Branch (SGE)Atmospheric Science Branch (SGG)Project Management Branch (SGP)Airborne Science Branch (ASP)What We DoResearch TopicsMissionsStoriesFeaturesHighlights & NuggetsAwards & RecognitionVisiting ScienceContact Us Ames Earth Science Galleries Researchers from Ames’ Earth Science division travel all over the country – and the globe – to study the planet and the processes within. Take a look through the galleries below to get a peak into the aircraft and labs our scientists study in, and the oceans, fires, and volcanoes they are looking at. Complete Ames Earth Science Story/Gallery Repository about Ames Earth Science Galleries Galleries Calibration at the Airborne Sensor Facility Gallery13 ImagesFireSense Fort Stewart Prescribed Burn Campaign Gallery131 ImagesCRATER Gallery112 ImagesSARP East 2025 Gallery30 ImagesSARP West 2025 Gallery33 ImagesOCEANOS 2024 Gallery92 ImagesCoral Reef Gallery53 ImagesFireSense Missoula Deployment Gallery78 Images2023 SARP West Gallery67 Images
Search for Life Should Be Top Science Priority for First Human Landing on Mars, Says New Report
When astronauts set foot on Mars, it will be one of humanity’s greatest milestones, marking the start of a new era of discovery on another planet. A new National Academies report identifies the highest priority science objectives for the first human missions to Mars and says searching for evidence of existing or past life on the planet should be the top priority.
JIM CLOERN: The scientist and science I mourn
By Ariel Rubissow Okamoto A man died recently who was one of my heroes. Inside his big brain lay the secrets of San Francisco Bay. In one sentence he could explain the relationships between the tiny plants drifting aimlessly in the shallows, the muscular salmon leaping upstream, and the health of the planet. He had a warm smile, a curl to his hair, a ready chuckle. But I did not know this man well. For decades he ran a monthly data […]
Strangely bleached rocks on Mars hint that the Red Planet was once a tropical oasis
Bleached clay rocks found on the Martian surface suggest that the Red Planet was once home to heavy rainfall and tropical conditions, new Perseverance observations hint.
Decades Later, Scientists Finally Explain Voyager 2’s Bizarre Readings at Uranus
Powerful waves unleashed by solar storms could be the key to understanding extreme radiation. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) researchers now think they have found the answer to a puzzle that has lingered for nearly four decades involving Uranus and its unusual radiation environment. When Vo
People Are Surprised To Learn That The Closest Planet To Neptune Turns Out To Be Mercury
Everything you've been taught is a lie.
December 5, 2025
A boom in construction of AI data centers is facing backlash over soaring electricity and water usage, and the resulting utility hikes. Plus, to save spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest, one plan suggests killing thousands of barred owls. And, geologist Anjana Khatwa explains how embracing wonder and awe adds to our scientific understanding of the rocks that form our planet.
What Is A Superhabitable Planet And Have We Found Any?
While we’re looking for Earth 2.0, might we stumble on an upgrade?
Science Quiz: Strange Weather and Desert Planets
Put your science knowledge to the test with this week’s news quiz. Play now.
Meet the billionaire pushing taxpayer-funded school vouchers
How one of the richest people on the planet presses his pet issue: school choice
NASA Selects 2 Instruments for Artemis IV Lunar Surface Science
NASA has selected two science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during the Artemis IV mission to the lunar south polar
To counter climate denial, UN scientists must be 'clear' about human role: IPCC chief
With US President Donald Trump and other sceptics calling climate change a hoax, the UN's climate science body must tell the world in a "very clear way" that humans are heating the planet, its chairman told AFP. Jim Skea, a Scottish professor, chairs the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which held a five-day meeting in a skyscraper outside Paris this week to begin drafting the next major UN climate assessment.I mean, we concluded in our last report, very simple conclusion: It is
Planet Earth has never had so many billionaires
The number of billionaires worldwide – and their combined wealth – reached record highs this year, buoyed in particular by gains in tech stocks, Swiss bank UBS has found.
Jackson selected as editor for the Planetary Science Journal
Brian Jackson, professor of physics at Boise State University and Director of the Central Idaho...
Gran Turismo 7 Spec III Update 1.65 & Power Pack DLC Now Available
Ten weeks after it was first announced, the bumper Gran Turismo 7 Spec III update is now available to players worldwide, bringing a host of new content and features to get to grips with. If you didn't check in ahead of time and missed out on the preload -- only the second time a GT7 update has be