Planets

Find out everything there is to know about planets and stay updated on the latest planet news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and planet images at LiveScience.com. Learn more about space and the solar system as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about planets.

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A satellite photo of mars with a massive, curved crack in its surface

Grand Canyon-size 'scar' on Mars revealed like never before in striking new satellite photos

By Harry Baker published

New photos from the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter give us our best look yet at a giant ravine on the Red Planet. The dark "scar" was likely birthed by a gigantic blob of magma hidden beneath a massive nearby volcano millions of years ago.

Mars
A view of the top of Io, a slight haze protrudes from the surface in one isolated location.

NASA's Juno probe reveals 'fire-breathing' lava lakes across Jupiter's volcanic moon Io

By Stefanie Waldek published

New infrared images showcase "fire-breathing" lakes all across the surface of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io.

Jupiter
Jupiter

James Webb Space Telescope spies strange shapes above Jupiter's Great Red Spot

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have spotted a previously unseen structure in the atmosphere above Jupiter's famous Great Red Spot.

Jupiter
NASA's snap of Phobos, captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

'Space potato' spotted by NASA Mars satellite is actually something much cooler

By Ben Turner published

The starchy-looking moon Phobos, destined to crash into Mars' surface, has been revealed in new detail by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The 'space potato' image was recently shared on NASA's Instagram.

Mars
A glowing orange and brown sphere next to a brighter orange sphere.

Gaia space telescope helps astronomers image hidden objects around bright stars

By Robert Lea published

The Gaia space telescope has spotted the dim companions of eight bright stars, suggesting we can expect new glimpses of distant planets.

Exoplanets
a pale gas giant, cut by the shadow of its rings hangs in black space, a large wispy storm in its northern hemisphere.

Saturn's planet-wide storms driven by seasonal heating, Cassini probe reveals

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Saturn pumps into space varying amounts of heat based on its seasons, which drives planet-wide storms, data from NASA's Cassini mission has revealed.

Saturn
An image of Jupiter's great red spot

Is Jupiter's Great Red Spot an impostor? Giant storm may not be the original one discovered 350 years ago

By Stefanie Waldek published

Astronomer Giovanni Cassini observed Jupiter's 'Permanent Spot' in 1665, but new research suggests it's a different vortex from today's Great Red Spot.

Jupiter
Light-toned Martian rock

'1st of its kind': NASA spots unusually light-colored boulder on Mars that may reveal clues of the planet's past

By Kristel Tjandra published

NASA's Perseverance rover spotted a bizarrely light-toned boulder on Mars, the likes of which have never been seen before.

Mars
a grainy black-and-white image of a distant hill

Solar storm slams Mars in eerie new NASA footage

By Meredith Garofalo published

A powerful solar storm in May 2024 created auroras on Mars and provided scientists with crucial information that could aid future crewed missions to the Red Planet.

Mars
An artists intepretation of Planet Nine shows a large dark planet with the sun in the distance

How long would it take to reach Planet 9, if we ever find it?

By Harry Baker published

Some experts believe that the solar system's hypothetical ninth planet could be just a few years away from being discovered. If this is the case, how long would it take for humans to send probes to the elusive world?

Planets
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