Planet Earth

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  Private Venus Mission Plans to Retrieve Cloud Samples for Life Research

  A privately-led space mission is being developed to retrieve and analyse cloud samples from Venus. Scientists believe the planet’s sulfuric acid clouds might sustain organic molecules necessary for life. The mission, named Morning Star, involves deploying probes to collect mist from Venus' atmosphere. The collected samples would be returned to Ea...

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  Primordial Helium-3 May Be Locked in Earth’s Core, Study Finds

  Helium-3, an isotope formed during the solar system's birth, may be trapped in Earth's core, a study suggests. Researchers at the University of Tokyo found that helium can mix with iron at extreme heat and pressure, allowing it to remain in Earth's solid core. This discovery could help determine how quickly the planet formed, with a rapid formation...

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  Planetary Parade 2025: Rare Photo Captures Earth And 7 Planets For The First Time Ever

  Experts have claimed it could be the first time all planets including Earth have been captured in a single image.

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  Solar System’s Journey Through Orion Complex May Have Altered Earth’s Climate

  Scientists have studied the solar system’s passage through the Orion complex, a dense region in space, around 14 million years ago. According to researchers, this movement may have compressed the heliosphere and increased interstellar dust reaching Earth. This dust could have influenced the planet’s climate and left traces in geological records...

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  Ancient Martian Ocean Shoreline Discovered Beneath Surface by Zhurong Rover

  China's Zhurong rover has uncovered evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars, with ground-penetrating radar detecting a buried shoreline beneath the Utopia Basin. The rover’s scans revealed sloping sand layers similar to those found on Earth’s beaches, reinforcing theories of long-term water presence. Experts highlight that these formations are not...

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  Why Mumbai Is Being Linked To 'City Killer' Asteroid: All You Need To Know

  Dubbed "city killer", the space rock now has an estimated 1.5 per cent (or 1 in 67) chance of striking our planet during a close flyby on December 22, 2032.

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  New Seismic Data Challenges Earth's Inner Core Structure, Reveals Surprising Findings

  Recent seismic data from 121 earthquakes recorded over three decades challenges previous beliefs about Earth's inner core. Researchers from the University of Southern California discovered structural changes in the core, suggesting it may not be as solid as once thought. These anomalies, observed while studying the core's slowing rotation, could of...

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  Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline

  Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...

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  Human-Like Lifeforms Beyond Earth? New Study Says It's More Likely Than We Thought

  The research proposes that the emergence of humanity on Earth was not as improbable as previously thought, potentially increasing the likelihood of intelligent life existing on other planets.

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  Newly Confirmed Super-Earth HD 20794 d May Support Life in Habitable Zone

  A super-Earth, HD 20794 d, has been confirmed within a habitable zone 20 light years from Earth. The planet, first detected in 2022, has a mass six times that of Earth and orbits a sun-like star. Although its elliptical orbit affects temperature stability, its potential to sustain liquid water makes it a key target for upcoming space missions. Scie...

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  Scientists Uncover 'Sunken Worlds' Deep in Earth’s Mantle, Defying Geological Expectations

  A new study has uncovered unusual anomalies deep within Earth's mantle, resembling sunken crustal slabs in unexpected locations. Using advanced full-waveform inversion, scientists were able to map these structures, revealing hidden patterns that challenge current geological understanding. These anomalies were discovered far from tectonic activity z...

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  NASA's TESS Discovers Fastest Disintegrating Planet Ever Seen: What You Need to Know

  NASA’s TESS has observed the closest and fastest disintegrating planet, BD+05 4868 Ab, located 141 light-years away. The planet loses a moon’s mass every million years as it is bombarded by its host star. Scientists are examining its massive dust trails, offering rare insights into the composition of terrestrial exoplanets. Researchers from MIT...

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  SpaceX Successfully Launches 131 Satellites on Transporter 12 Mission

  SpaceX’s Transporter 12 mission, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, deployed 131 satellites into low Earth orbit on 14 January 2025. Among the payloads were 37 satellites from Planet Labs, including the AI-powered Pelican-2, designed for high-resolution imaging and real-time data analysis. The mission also saw the Falcon 9 booster success...

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  Ancient Ice Core from Antarctica May Reveal Climate Mysteries from 1.2 Million Years Ago

  A team of scientists in Antarctica has extracted a 2.8-kilometre-long ice core from Little Dome C, believed to be 1.2 million years old. The ice core contains trapped air bubbles and volcanic ash, offering valuable data on climate shifts and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. The research aims to uncover the cause behind significant climatic changes a...

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  NASA's LEXI Mission Will Explore Earth’s Magnetic Shield from the Moon

  NASA is preparing for the launch of the Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) aboard Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander, scheduled for January 15. The mission will observe Earth’s magnetosphere, capturing X-ray images that reveal how the planet's magnetic shield reacts to solar wind. This project could improve predictions of geoma...