Planetary science

Federica Coppari uses the world’s most powerful laser to recreate the cores of distant worlds.

Scientists have long struggled to understand how common planets form. A new supercomputer simulation shows that the missing ingredient may be magnetism.

The new volcanic fissures are more otherworldly than they first appear.

New data indicating that Earth’s surface broke up about 3.2 billion years ago helps clarify how plate tectonics drove the evolution of complex life.

Micrometeorites constantly fall on every corner of Earth. Matthew Genge is using these shards of interplanetary space to understand Earth and its place in the solar system.

Small and cold, Mars has long been considered a dead planet. But a series of recent discoveries has forced scientists to rethink how recently its insides stopped churning — if they ever stopped at all.

Liz MacDonald realized that if she wanted to create the world’s best aurora map, she needed a secret ingredient: Twitter.

Mathematicians typically appreciate either generic or exceptional beauty in their work, but one type is more useful in describing the universe.

As astronomers get better at finding the comets and asteroids of other stars, they’ll learn more about the universe and our place in it.