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planets

Pluto

Space

Pluto is coloured red by ammonia spewing from underneath its surface

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has found signatures of ammonia on Pluto, which probably spurted from under the surface in fountains relatively recently

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Jupiter's swirling cloud formations

Space

By Jupiter! How the solar system’s giant made Earth ripe for life

Features

Why 'Martian' Tanya Harrison loves everything about the Red Planet

Space

Why 'Martian' Tanya Harrison loves everything about the Red Planet

Regulars

The moon

Space

The moon may be made of magma that once covered Earth’s entire surface

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The high resolution stereo camera on board ESA’s Mars Express captured this impressive upwelling front of dust clouds – visible in the right half of the frame – near the north polar ice cap of Mars in April this year. It was one of several local small-scale dust storms that have been observed in recent months at the Red Planet, which is currently enduring a particularly intense dust storm season. A much larger storm emerged further southwest at the end of May and developed into a global, planet-encircling dust storm within several weeks. The intensity of this major event means very little light from the Sun reaches the martian surface, a situation extreme enough that NASA’s 15-year old Opportunity rover has been unable to recharge its batteries and call home: it has been in hibernation mode since mid-June.

Space

Largest dust storm on Mars ever recorded may reveal why it's so dry

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Dwarf planet 2007 OR10

Space

You can help name the largest unnamed world in the solar system

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Curiosity rovr

Space

Curiosity is entering what may be the best area to find life on Mars

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The northern hemisphere is displayed in this global view of the surface of Venus.

Space

Venus may have had a climate suitable for life billions of years ago

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satellite ocean scene

Earth

Gaia rebooted: New version of idea explains how Earth evolved for life

Features

'Oumuamua

Space

Earth may be partly made of rocks from elsewhere in the galaxy

We’ve only seen one interstellar object, a rock called ‘Oumuamua that passed by in 2017, but they may be crucial to speeding up the planet-building process

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Space

It will be 'snowing' nitrogen on Pluto for the next century

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Space

The moon’s violent birth may have given Earth the ingredients of life

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Space

Massive space rock smash-up with Uranus recreated in a riot of colour

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Space

NASA probe will hurtle past the most distant object we’ve ever visited

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