India’s moon mission: “95% of mission objectives accomplished”

Saturday's heartbreaking loss of contact with the Vikram lander - part of the Chandrayaan-2 mission to the moon - hasn't changed the upbeat tone of India's space science. Here's what we know so far.

Contact with India moon lander lost, moments before touchdown

The Vikram lander was to have made India the 4th nation of Earth to soft land on the moon. Contact with it was lost just 1.3 miles (2.1 km) above the moon's surface.

Have astronomers found a hyper-volcanic exomoon?

Astronomers have found evidence for a possible exomoon orbiting a gas giant planet 550 light-years away. If they're interpreting the evidence correctly, this moon would be a place of destruction, even more volcanically active than Jupiter's famous volcanic moon, Io.

Ka-bam! Signs of a giant impact with Jupiter

Scientists used Juno spacecraft data and models of how Jupiter's inner core should look to probe the giant planet's early history. They now think an object with 10 times Earth's mass might have struck Jupiter billions of years ago.

ALMA images show what’s happening beneath Jupiter’s storms

New radio images made with the ALMA telescope provide a look at what's going on beneath Jupiter’s colorful storms and swirling clouds.

Could microbes be affecting Venus’ climate?

Unusual dark patches in Venus' atmosphere - called "unknown absorbers" - play a key role in the planet's climate and albedo, according to a new study. But what are they? That's still a mystery.

Will the Webb telescope be able to detect life signs at nearby exoplanets?

The Webb Telescope is Hubble's successor, due to launch in 2021. A new study says it'll be powerful enough to search for life signatures in the atmospheres of the 7 Earth-sized planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system, just 39 light-years away.

Why does Mars’ methane vary across a single Martian day?

Previous studies showed that methane in Mars' atmosphere varies across the Martian seasons. New research shows daily fluctuations. It's fascinating because, on Earth, methane gas is tied to microbial life.

Name NASA’s next Mars rover

The Mars 2020 rover, scheduled for launch next July, doesn't have a name yet. A NASA contest invites U.S. students grades K–12 to suggest names for the rover.

Gaia tracks sibling stars in Milky Way

Rather than leaving home young, as expected, star siblings are more likely to stick together in long-lasting, string-like star groups, according to a new study of data from ESA's Gaia spacecraft.

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