Dark lines appearing on Martian slopes have triggered theories of flowing water or brine on the planet’s surface. But a new study suggests that these features are, instead, dry. To Keep reading
Tag: planetary science
Io’s Missing Magma Ocean
In the late 1970s, scientists conjectured that Io was likely a volcanic world, heated by tidal forces from Jupiter that squeeze it along its elliptical orbit. Only months later, images Keep reading
Ponding on the Ice Shelf
Glaciers flow together and march out to sea along the Amery Ice Shelf in this satellite image of Antarctica. Three glaciers — flowing from the top, left, and bottom of Keep reading
Seeking Uranus’s Spin
Uranus is one of our solar system’s oddest planets. An ice giant, it spins on its side. We originally estimated its rate of rotation using measurements from Voyager 2, the Keep reading
Martian Mud Volcanoes
Mars features mounds that resemble our terrestrial mud volcanoes, suggesting that a similar form of mudflow occurs on Mars. But Mars’ thin atmosphere and frigid temperatures mean that water — Keep reading
Climate Change and the Equatorial Cold Tongue
A cold region of Pacific waters stretches westward along the equator from the coast of Ecuador. Known as the equatorial cold tongue, this region exists because trade winds push surface Keep reading
Inside an Alien Atmosphere
Studying the physics of planetary atmospheres is challenging, not least because we only have a handful of examples to work from in our own solar system. So it’s exciting that Keep reading
Growing Ice
While much attention is given to the summer loss of sea ice, the birth of new ice in the fall is also critical. Ice loss in the summer leaves oceans Keep reading
Disappearing Sea Ice Ridges
As blocks of sea ice shift and float, they can press together, forming ridges spaced every few hundred meters or so. A new study uses aerial observations from recent decades Keep reading
An Exoplanet’s Supersonic Jet Stream
WASP-127b is a hot Jupiter-type exoplanet located about 520 light-years from us. A new study of the planet’s atmosphere reveals a supersonic jet stream whipping around its equatorial region at Keep reading