Solar System

Latest about Solar System

The first visible-light image of a green aurora on Mars, left, taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover. A comparison image, right, shows the night sky without the aurora but featuring the Martian moon Deimos.

Perseverance Mars rover becomes 1st spacecraft to spot auroras from the surface of another world

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover made skywatching history in March, becoming the first robot to witness auroras from the surface of another planet.

Mars

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2025

By Tariq Malik, Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2025.

Reference
two legs of a moon lander jutting up with the earth half-lit overhead

Here's why the private Athena lunar lander toppled over on the moon

By Mike Wall published

We now know why Intuitive Machine's Athena moon lander fell on its side shortly after touching down on March 6.

The moon

Venus' crust is surprisingly thin. Could this explain why it's so geologically active?

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

A fresh look at Venus' geology suggests that the Venus' crust may be far thinner than once believed.

Venus
On a flat, slightly rocky ground, there is a sample tube laying there. A rover's wheel is seen toward the top right.

Mars Sample Return now! (op-ed)

By Bruce Jakosky, Scott Hubbard published

The White House's 2026 budget request axes NASA's long-held plan to bring Mars samples to Earth for analysis. Here's why that cancellation would be a mistake.

Mars
a full moon is seen over the horizon of Earth as viewed from orbit

Astronaut sees 'Flower Moon' from orbit | Space photo of the day for May 13, 2025

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, an Expedition 73 crew member aboard the International Space Station, photographed the "Flower" full moon in May 2025.

The moon
Artist's illustration of planet Saturn partially illuminated by the sun with one of its many moons casting a shadow on the impressive ring system.

Saturn: Everything you need to know about the sixth planet from the sun

By Charles Q. Choi last updated

Reference Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and the second-largest planet in the solar system. We explore this gas giant in more detail here.

Reference

Volcanoes shaped the moon from the inside out, scientists find: 'Our team was genuinely puzzled'

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Data from NASA's GRAIL mission reveals evidence of ancient volcanic heat still influencing the moon's internal structure.

The moon
two images of an orb; one is blue and green and one are red lined with whites and oranges along their edges

James Webb Space Telescope captures ghostly images of clouds on Saturn's largest moon Titan

By Brett Tingley published

The James Webb Space Telescope has peered into the atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon Titan, capturing the first evidence of cloud formation in the moon's northern hemisphere.

Saturn
The Chang'e 5 return capsule at its landing site in Inner Mongolia, China, on Dec. 17, 2020.

China is sharing priceless moon samples with international partners, but NASA can't be a part of it

By Keith Cooper published

The Wolf Amendment, a law that prevents bilateral cooperation in space research between the U.S. and China, is preventing U.S. government-funded analysis of the Chang'e 5 moon samples.

The moon
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