Mars Volcano Recently Erupted
May 11, 2021
A 20-mile volcanic fissure on Mars may be a recent eruption. Scientists are considering the possibility that Mars is still active.
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Venus Is Erupting
July 20, 2020
If new indirect observations are correct, Venus is an active planet today with huge volcanoes.
Spinning Solar System Objects to Keep Them Old
June 7, 2019
If you remove the obligation to think in billions of years, many phenomena in the solar system make more sense.
Europa May Be Another Geyser Moon
May 15, 2018
A re-assessment of data from the Galileo spacecraft appears to confirm suspected eruptions from the surface of Europa, Jupiter's icy moon.
Planet Party Busted by Triton
November 16, 2017
Theories can be like parties with tantalizing speculations until big, whopping anomalies spoil the fun.
Pluto May Be Erupting
November 10, 2015
Two mountains that look like giant volcanoes hint at current activity on Pluto.
Is Pluto Another Geyser World? "Shocking" Images Baffle Scientists
July 17, 2015
In addition to featureless plains, Pluto may even sport active geysers—with no recourse to tidal heating to power them.
Pluto Is Young
July 15, 2015
The New Horizons science team is stunned by surface features on Pluto and its large moon Charon that cannot be billions of years old.
Pluto Inbound Image Stuns Scientists
July 14, 2015
It's not a featureless orb: Pluto has a whale and a heart. A "complex and nuanced" surface shows that Pluto and its large moon Charon had a history.
What to Look for at Pluto
June 3, 2015
As New Horizons closes in on Pluto for its July 14 encounter, what questions should be asked?
Active Moon Triton Revisited
August 25, 2014
25 years ago today, Voyager 2 flew by Triton, a moon of Neptune, astonishing scientists with its active geology.
Scientists Dodge Youthfulness of Saturn Moon Titan
August 17, 2013
Like Enceladus, Saturn's moon Titan shows multiple signs of being far less than 4.5 billion years old – yet the press releases are strangely silent about the implications.
Europa Plus Water Does Not Equal Life
November 18, 2011
NASA gave one of its high-profile press releases this week to dazzle reporters: Europa, the icy moon of Jupiter, may have large lakes of liquid water under its icy shell, closer to the surface than the deep ocean long believed to exist miles down. The curious domes rising above the ice seem to indicate heating that Would the reporters resist the temptation to speculate about life?
Swinging at Saturn’s Moons: Keep Your Eye on the Ball
March 1, 2010
To avoid being misled by planetary scientists, keep your attention focused on the age issue.
Active Moons Challenge Old-Age Beliefs
December 3, 2007
The best planetary scientists in the world, constrained within their chosen billions-of-years mindset, have many questions and few answers.