Planetary Science
Researchers at Rice University have developed a climate model showing that small lakes on early Mars could remain liquid for decades beneath thin seasonal ice, despite freezing temperatures. This finding addresses a key puzzle in planetary science about evidence of water on a seemingly cold Red Planet. The study suggests such lakes may have melted and refrozen annually without fully solidifying.
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A new study suggests that Jupiter's moon Europa, long considered a prime candidate for extraterrestrial life due to its vast subsurface ocean, may lack the geological activity necessary to support living organisms. Researchers found that weak tidal forces from Jupiter result in a calm and inactive seafloor. This challenges hopes for habitable conditions beneath the moon's icy crust.
NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) successfully altered the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos more than expected, but scientists were puzzled by the discovery that the impact caused the moonlet to start tumbling. The mission, which involved crashing a spacecraft into Dimorphos in September 2022, aimed to test planetary defense techniques. Observations from ground-based telescopes confirmed the surprising rotational change.