Nola Tillman

AGU's Eos — Plumes on Saturn's moon Enceladus are dumping methane into space-fast. Something must be resupplying the organic compound.

National Geographic — Both NASA's Perserverance and China's Zhurong rovers have recently found signs that Mars may have had more water than expected.

PNAS — When Mariner 4 buzzed Mars in 1965, it revealed a dry, desiccated world that stood in stark contrast to the habitable planet dreamed of by decades of science fiction writers. Subsequent observations revealed the apparent scars of rivers and deltas, and even potential sea shorelines. The revelations brought hope that the planet had once been wetter. But the implications of these findings have remained unclear, with theories of potential climates falling into two camps. In the “warm and wet” camp, rainfall excavated Mars’ river-like features, and a large ocean stretched across its northern hemisphere. The “cold and frozen” camp credits melting ice with scooping out the valleys. Now, new research suggests that a large ocean was indeed required to form the features across the planet's surface. But rather than warm and wet, the planet would have been cool and semi-arid. This intriguing third hypothesis has started to garner attention as researchers continue to debate the particulars of the red planet’s early climate.

Smithsonian Magazine — The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be able to detect small, distant planets without stars

Smithsonian Magazine — A huge mass of material fell down a mountain and into the Red Planet's ancient ocean.

Science Magazine — Earlier this year, astronomers discovered an oddball asteroid inside the orbit of Venus—the first member of a predicted flock near the Sun. No bigger than a small mountain, the asteroid has now gained another distinction: It appears to be rich in the mineral olivine, which makes up much of Earth's deep rock. Some astronomers think that is a clue to a larger set of asteroids, never properly accounted for, that was forged early in the formation of the Solar System.

PNAS — Two ancient asteroids with distinctive diamond-like shapes are revealing clues not only about their own formation, but that of the solar system as well.

Discover Magazine — Researchers have spent decades trying to pin down exactly how long a day on Venus lasts. Finding the answer cuts to the core of fundamental mysteries about the planet.

Discover Magazine — The Wall of Westeros Would Be Its Own Worst Enemy

Astronomy Magazine — What started out as a bar room bet became a paper taking the goofy premise (somewhat) deadly seriously

IEEE Spectrum — Mission Extension Vehicles give dead spacecraft a new lease on life

Science Magazine — Jumping Jupiter! Thousands of icy rocks suggest our solar system was once home to a fifth giant planet.

Science Magazine — "Snowglow" could exacerbate light pollution