Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
Students ask the media to publicize their images if they die in a shooting, a prison in Mississippi will replace in-person visits with low-budget Skype, and a minor planet gets its name.
Planets
As NASA's Kepler Mission Comes to an End, Planetary Research Moves Forward
The Kepler telescope has run out of fuel and officially entered retirement. Luckily, there is a replacement on the way to continue our observation of the stars.
We Can Now Detect Earthquakes From Space—and Maybe Venusquakes Too
Quakes may offer scientific clues about planets' interiors.
Nuclear Renaissance in Space
As the U.S. prepares to relaunch domestic production of plutonium-238, the space community wishes to assure the public of its safety. Are they right?
Gas on Mars Silent But Not Deadly
Scientists weigh the possibility that methane gas on Mars comes from microorganisms in the soil.
The Search for Intelligent Light
Planet hunter Geoff Marcy scans the skies for answers to the universal question of other life.