Planetary science
hidePlanetary science is the scientific study of planets, moons, and planetary systems, in particular those of the Solar System. It studies objects ranging in size from micrometeoroids to gas giants, aiming to determine their composition, dynamics, formation, interrelations and history. It is a strongly interdisciplinary field, originally growing from astronomy and earth science, but which now incorporates many disciplines, including planetary astronomy, planetary geology (together with geochemistry, geophysics and geomorphology as applied to planets), atmospheric science, theoretical planetary science, and the study of extrasolar planets. Allied disciplines include space physics, when concerned with the effects of the Sun on the bodies of the Solar System, and astrobiology.
There are interrelated observational and theoretical branches of planetary science. Observational research can involve a combination of space exploration, predominantly with robotic spacecraft missions using remote sensing, and comparative, experimental work in Earth-based laboratories. The theoretical component involves considerable computer simulation and mathematical modelling.
Planetary scientists are generally located in the astronomy and physics or earth sciences departments of universities or research centres, though there are several purely planetary science institutes worldwide. There are several major conferences each year, and a wide range of peer-reviewed journals.
For more information about Planetary science, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with planetary science
Atomic Particles Help Solve Planetary Puzzle
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 10, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (12) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Arkansas professor and his colleagues have shown that the Earth's mantle contains the same isotopic signatures from magnesium as meteorites do, suggesting that the planet formed ...
Cave study links climate change to California droughts
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 10, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (6) |
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California experienced centuries-long droughts in the past 20,000 years that coincided with the thawing of ice caps in the Arctic, according to a new study by UC Davis doctoral student Jessica Oster and geology professor ...
Icebreaker: Scientist brings out big gun to explore behavior of ice in planetary collisions
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 29, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Every month, Sarah Stewart-Mukhopadhyay fires her 20-foot gun in the basement of Harvard's Hoffman Lab, sending shivers through the concrete and steel structure that can be picked up by seismometers ...
Meteorite from Sept. 25 fireball event recovered and presented
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 16, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (10) |
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When Tony Garchinski heard a loud crash just after 9 p.m. on Friday, September 25 he didn't think much of it. That is, until he awoke the next morning to find the windshield of his mom's Nissan Pathfinder ...
NASA Refines Asteroid Apophis' Path Toward Earth
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 07, 2009 |
3.9 / 5 (12) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Using updated information, NASA scientists have recalculated the path of a large asteroid. The refined path indicates a significantly reduced likelihood of a hazardous encounter with Earth ...
Astronomers capture spectacular meteor footage and images (w/ Video)
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 07, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (12) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers from The University of Western Ontario in London, Canada have released footage of a meteor that was approximately 100 times brighter than a full moon. The meteor lit up the skies ...
Islands of Life Across Space and Time
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 06, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (11) |
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A new study by the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo shows the first quantitative evaluation of planetary habitability. The study identifies some potential habitats in the solar system and also shows how ...
'Inverse Energy Cascade' May Energize Jupiter's Jet Streams
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 06, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (4) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Jupiter's intense and persistent jet streams could be triggered by small-scale energy events, a planetary sciences graduate student reports.
Cloudy with a chance of pebble showers: Simulation suggests rocky exoplanet has bizarre atmosphere
Sep 29, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (26) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- So accustomed are we to the sunshine, rain, fog and snow of our home planet that we find it next to impossible to imagine a different atmosphere and other forms of precipitation.
First discovery of life's building block in comet made
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Aug 17, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (18) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA scientists have discovered glycine, a fundamental building block of life, in samples of comet Wild 2 returned by NASA's Stardust spacecraft.
How rolling terrain rolls: New study could help identify signs of life on other planets (w/ Video)
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Jul 22, 2009 |
4 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Anyone who has flown over the western United States knows the patterns well: Seemingly endless repetitions of similar landforms, ridges and valleys and ridges and valleys arranged with nearly ...
MIT solves longstanding volcanic mystery
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Jun 08, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (10) |
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For decades, geologists have been puzzled by the mechanisms that give rise to the kind of volcanoes that form the so-called “ring of fire” around the Pacific Ocean. These arc volcanoes, which account for about 10 to 25 percent ...
Laser-flash analysis echnique measures heat transport in the Earth's crust
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Mar 30, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Putting a new spin on an old technique, Anne M. Hofmeister, Ph.D., research professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has revolutionized ...
Ocean's journey towards the center of the Earth
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Mar 05, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (10) |
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A Monash geoscientist and a team of international researchers have discovered the existence of an ocean floor was destroyed 50 to 20 million years ago, proving that New Caledonia and New Zealand are geographically ...
Earth's seasons now arrive 2 days earlier, researchers report
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Jan 21, 2009 |
2.5 / 5 (19) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Not only has the average global temperature increased in the past 50 years, but the hottest day of the year has shifted nearly two days earlier, according to a new study by scientists from the University ...
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