Solar system

It’s certainly possible to consume water sourced from the icy rings of Saturn, but doing so safely may require extra steps

Scientists are racing to learn as much as possible about the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS before it fades from view forever

Observations of a baby star may show the earliest stages of planet formation that astronomers have ever seen

A new global overview of Mars suggests dust, rather than water, is the source of mysterious streaks there

The future is bright—too bright—for life as we know it once the sun transforms into a red giant star

All eyes are on Comet 3I/ATLAS as astronomers worldwide chase the exotic ice ball through our solar system

Launching in 2028, China’s Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission could bring Red Planet rocks back to Earth as early as 2031—years ahead of competing U.S.-European efforts

To achieve its ambitious plans for missions to the moon and beyond, Russia needs other spacefaring nations as partners. But the war in Ukraine is making that help increasingly hard to find

Close stellar encounters could change the structure of our planetary system, potentially dooming Earth or other worlds to oblivion

Recent observations have revealed carbon monoxide venting from the largest comet ever seen, providing clues about its origins in the mysterious depths of the outer solar system

Later this year a tiny rover will carry out an unusual lunar task

Claims that an asteroid or comet airburst destroyed the biblical Sodom captured the public’s imagination. Its retraction shows that scientific conclusions aren’t decided by majority rule in the public square