Planet

One day on Mars is about 37 minutes longer than an Earth day – but it seems both planets are working to fix the gap. Data from NASA’s InSight lander have revealed Martian days are getting ever so slightly shorter, and scientists aren’t sure why.

Collectors of trading cards are always hunting for rare shiny variants – and now astronomers have found the exoplanet equivalent. The shiniest planet ever found, LTT9779 b, is an ultra-hot, cosmic disco ball thanks to clouds made of glass and titanium.

Astronomers have discovered a planet that seems to have somehow survived an apocalyptic scenario. The hot Jupiter closely orbits a giant star that by all logic should have engulfed it, but the team has a few hypotheses about how it’s still standing.

Astronomers have witnessed an apocalypse from across the galaxy, as a planet crashed into its star. It’s an event long assumed to happen in many star systems – including our own someday – but this is the first time it’s ever been seen directly.

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected water vapor near a planet in another system. Although there's a big if hanging over the find, it could mark the first direct detection of a rocky exoplanet’s atmosphere.

The mission may be defunct, but NASA’s InSight Mars lander is still discovering new things about the Red Planet. Scientists poring over data have now made the first direct observations of another planet’s core, and it’s not quite what we thought.

Astronomers have classified planetary systems into four distinct categories, based on the sizes and arrangements of their planets. As it turns out, the architecture of our own solar system is the rarest kind.

The James Webb Space Telescope has been used to confirm the existence of an exoplanet for the first time. Known as LHS 475 b, this Earth-sized world is a cosmic stone’s-throw away and is likely the first of many planet discoveries by Webb.

Get Kevin Costner on the phone – astronomers may have found some water worlds. Two nearby planets have been found to be covered in deep global oceans under hot, steamy atmospheres.

The James Webb Space Telescope has provided the most detailed look at an exoplanet atmosphere ever. Studying data from four instruments astronomers compiled a complete molecular and chemical profile of the planet, including signs of active chemistry.

Planets have been born, lived and died long before Earth even existed. Now astronomers have detected the ruins of ancient planets around two unusual white dwarf stars, including an Earth-like world that existed almost 10 billion years ago.

Saturn is home to several solar system mysteries. Using data from Cassini, astronomers now suggest a simple answer to a few questions – a lost moon once orbited the planet before being torn to shreds.