Planetary science is the study of the celestial bodies that orbit stars, with a particular focus on our own solar system. This includes studying the formation and evolution of planets, the moons and ...

A new study of the oddest cloud on Mars, which reappears every year at the Arsia Mons volcano, says that "exotic physics" is ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Leslie Katz covers the intersection of culture, science and tech. A yellowish-orange glow bathes Phainoterra, a planet of dramatic ...

In a finding that challenges conventional understanding of planetary systems, astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting perpendicular to its host stars. Using the European Southern Observatory’s ...

A new study published on arXiv suggests that quantum physics could provide astronomers with a new method to search for distant planets that share similarities with Earth. By exploring quantum-based ...

What do the clouds on Jupiter, dust storms on Mars and rainstorms on Titan all have in common? They look like they belong on Earth. As we venture through the universe, scientists are finding uncanny — ...

Studying the orbits of thousands of exoplanets shows that large planets tend to have elliptical orbits, while smaller planets tend to have more circular orbits. This split coincides with several other ...

WISPIT 2b, a gas giant forming around a young Sun-like star, has been directly imaged for the first time inside a spectacular multi-ringed disk. Still glowing and actively accreting gas, the planet ...

Astronomers have found evidence of a process that supports an alternative, more rapid approach to planetary formation, more top down than bottom up. By Katrina Miller When it comes to making a planet, ...

A pair of newly discovered planets are the puffiest planets ever seen. The planets are each about the size of Jupiter but have less than 6 percent of its mass, astronomers report in the July Monthly ...

As the extraordinary pace of astronomical discovery carries on, we increasingly see that the stuff of life is spread throughout the cosmos. Life, even complex life, must be common out there. We know ...