Field geology at a distance
As part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, Professor Tanja Bosak helps determine the best samples to bring home for clues about life 4 billion years ago.
Astronomers discover an Earth-sized “pi planet” with a 3.14-day orbit
The rocky world, with its baking-hot surface, is likely not habitable.
Astronomers may have found a signature of life on Venus
Evidence indicates phosphine, a gas associated with living organisms, is present in the habitable region of Venus’ atmosphere.
Lava oceans may not explain the brightness of some hot super-Earths
By making their own lava and cooled glass, scientists find these materials likely aren’t responsible for the unexpected glow of some exoplanets.
Study: A plunge in incoming sunlight may have triggered “Snowball Earths”
Findings also suggest exoplanets lying within habitable zones may be susceptible to ice ages.
An origin story for a family of oddball meteorites
Study suggests the rare objects likely came from an early planetesimal with a magnetic core.
TESS mission discovers massive ice giant
Neptune-sized planet may be remnant core of a much larger planet.
Citizen scientists spot closest young brown dwarf disk yet
Discovery made through the Disk Detective project could help the search for new planets.
When baby planets melt
MIT scientists identify first magmas generated in solar system’s building blocks, unexpectedly answering questions about meteorites and formation of rocky planets.
Study: Life might survive, and thrive, in a hydrogen world
When searching for extraterrestrial life, astronomers may want to look at planets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres.
Meet the MIT bilinguals: Dual history and planetary science major Charlotte Minsky
Studying history has made her a better planetary scientist, Minsky says. And studying science has made her a better historian.
Origins of Earth’s magnetic field remain a mystery
The existence of a magnetic field beyond 3.5 billion years ago is still up for debate.
Titan’s missing river deltas and an Earthly climate connection
Samuel Birch, a new Heising-Simons Foundation 51 Pegasi b Fellow at MIT, will investigate the surfaces of outer solar system objects.
Study reveals details of “golf ball asteroid”
A tilted orbit may explain the asteroid Pallas’ highly cratered surface.
Making physics and astronomy more welcoming to African-American students
Report co-chaired by MIT professor cites need for “sweeping changes” in academic culture.