Where Are the Earth's Impact Craters?
July 13, 2015
The number of impact craters on Earth is almost negligible compared to Mars and the moon. Can erosion explain this?
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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?
Moon Origin Models Require Cheating
June 1, 2015
You can't get Earth's moon from a planetary collision without quasi-miraculous tweaks to the models.
Moon, Mercury, and Magnetic Fields
May 8, 2015
After the crash of MESSENGER, magnetic fields in the solar system have become a key topic for planetary science.
Solving Moon Origin Unsolves the Last Solution
April 9, 2015
The moon's origin has been "demystified," scientists are claiming. That's what they said last time.
Water Worlds Tempt with Life, Not Youth
March 13, 2015
More and more planets and moons are suspected of having liquid water, but what should be the logical implications?
Solar System Reversals
February 9, 2015
The planets keep going around, but theories about them often stop and go backward or sideways. When nothing else works, send in the impactors!
Full Moon Has Magnetic Secret
December 5, 2014
Ponder this under tonight's full moon. Scientists now say the moon once had a magnetic field stronger than Earth's is now.
Comet Lander Working, But Not Optimal
November 13, 2014
Rosetta's Philae lander hopped twice before landing in the shade in a tilted position, but the instruments are working.
Mercury, Moon May Still Be Erupting
October 17, 2014
Two objects that should be old and dead show surprising activity. Other indications of youthfulness in the solar system are noted.
Lunar Impact: Major Moon Basin Was Not a Big Hit
October 8, 2014
The theory of how the largest impact basin on the moon was formed has been turned upside down.
Moon Still Has Hot Core
August 23, 2014
Japanese scientists have determined that a soft, hot core remains in the center of the moon, contrary to expectations.
Enceladus Geysers Still Unexplained
July 31, 2014
The number of geysers has topped a hundred on Saturn's overactive moon. How could they be sustained for billions of years?
Lunar Tunes: Do Impacts Ring a Bell?
June 12, 2014
By looking at current dust and craters, cosmologists think they can hear the echoes of an impact that created the moon. Is that lunar, or looney?
Every Planet Surprises Secular Astronomers, I: Inner Planets
May 3, 2014
"Surprise" or "puzzling" are the most common words in news reports about bodies in the solar system. Here are recent examples that discuss the inner planets.