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Space

fountains of lava erupt behind palm trees at night

At around 8:45 p.m. on May 5, a new fissure from Kilauea began sputtering lava in this residential neighborhood. Within 15 minutes, fountains of molten rock were spewing up to heights of 70 meters (230 feet).

U.S. Geological Survey

Earth
 
Sep 4, 2018
Nine big stories you may have missed this summer
an image of the highest mountains on Pluto

New maps of Pluto show details of the dwarf planet’s mountains. Shown here are the highest mountains. The rise 3 to 6 kilometers (1.9 to 3.7 miles) above the smooth plains called Sputnik Planitia. The plains are made of nitrogen-ice.

Paul Schenk/Lunar and Planetary Institute

Planets
 
Aug 10, 2018
New Horizons data reveal first global maps of Pluto and Charon
an illustration of the Parker Solar Probe flying towards the sun

The Parker Solar Probe (illustrated) will launch in August and journey to the sun. It will fly through the star’s outer atmosphere.

JHU-APL

Space
 
Aug 6, 2018
The Parker Solar Probe aims to touch the sun
closeup of the sun and solar activity

The radius of the sun gets a smidge smaller the sun is most active, a new study finds.

SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY/NASA

Space
 
Jul 9, 2018
An active sun is a somewhat smaller sun
053118_lg_pluto-dunes_feat_free.jpg

Pluto’s dunes (center bottom and right) appear along a mountain range in this New Horizons image. The “sand” is made of methane ice.

SWRI, JHU APPLIED PHYSICS LAB, NASA

Planets
 
Jul 5, 2018
Pluto’s heart has dunes of methane ice
Venus

Akatsuki spacecraft images show a cloud-covered atmosphere similar to Earth’s. Those clouds hide a hostile surface.

Damia Bouic/DARTS/ISAS/JAXA

Planets
 
Mar 20, 2018
Here’s why Venus is so unwelcoming
Mars astronaut

Going into space brings the thrill of a new frontier and risks that scientists are racing to understand, from radiation to isolation.

RossellaApostoli/iStockphoto

Space
 
Mar 8, 2018
En route to Mars, astronauts may face big health risks
astronaut urine
Someday astronauts might feed nitrogen from their urine to yeast to make plastics and nutritional supplements for space travel.
American Chemical Society
Chemistry
 
Mar 5, 2018
Human waste could power plastic-making in space
Mars colony
This artist’s illustration depicts what a possible mission to Mars might look like. To make it reality, though, scientists must first solve a lot of problems.
e71lena/iStockphoto
Space
 
Feb 22, 2018
Preparing for that trip to Mars
rocky microbe

Space rocks, such as asteroids, might transport the first extraterrestrials that reach Earth: tiny microbes.

Zinco79/iStockphoto

Space
 
Feb 21, 2018
Most Americans would welcome a microbial E.T.