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Jupiter's swirling cloud formations

Space

By Jupiter! How the solar system’s giant made Earth ripe for life

An audacious mission circling Jupiter’s poles is probing the planet’s deepest mysteries - including how it shaped our solar system and paved the way for our existence

Features

Why 'Martian' Tanya Harrison loves everything about the Red Planet

Space

Why 'Martian' Tanya Harrison loves everything about the Red Planet

Regulars

The moon

Space

The moon may be made of magma that once covered Earth’s entire surface

News

The high resolution stereo camera on board ESA’s Mars Express captured this impressive upwelling front of dust clouds – visible in the right half of the frame – near the north polar ice cap of Mars in April this year. It was one of several local small-scale dust storms that have been observed in recent months at the Red Planet, which is currently enduring a particularly intense dust storm season. A much larger storm emerged further southwest at the end of May and developed into a global, planet-encircling dust storm within several weeks. The intensity of this major event means very little light from the Sun reaches the martian surface, a situation extreme enough that NASA’s 15-year old Opportunity rover has been unable to recharge its batteries and call home: it has been in hibernation mode since mid-June.

Space

Largest dust storm on Mars ever recorded may reveal why it's so dry

News

Dwarf planet 2007 OR10

Space

You can help name the largest unnamed world in the solar system

News

Curiosity rovr

Space

Curiosity is entering what may be the best area to find life on Mars

News

The northern hemisphere is displayed in this global view of the surface of Venus.

Space

Venus may have had a climate suitable for life billions of years ago

News

satellite ocean scene

Earth

Gaia rebooted: New version of idea explains how Earth evolved for life

Features

'Oumuamua

Space

Earth may be partly made of rocks from elsewhere in the galaxy

News

Pluto

Space

It will be 'snowing' nitrogen on Pluto for the next century

A 30-year study of Pluto’s nitrogen atmosphere suggests it has reached maximum pressure and will now start to form 'snow'

News

Space

The moon’s violent birth may have given Earth the ingredients of life

News

Space

Massive space rock smash-up with Uranus recreated in a riot of colour

News

Space

NASA probe will hurtle past the most distant object we’ve ever visited

News

2018’s weirdest stories: Friendly horses, toddler robots and moonmoons

News