Planetary Environments & Atmospheres - United States

llustration labeled u201cartistu2019s conceptu201d at right bottom corner. At left bottom corner, a partially illuminated, lemon-shaped exoplanet appears against a black background. This planet is most brightly illuminated at its elongated tip on its right side. On the left side, which is wider, the planet trails off into the darkness of the background. The planet is colored in varying, mottled shades of red, light pink, and fuchsia. Most of the pink occurs closest to the tip, while most of the fuchsia is at the top and bottom edges. At right top corner, a white beam emanates diagonally, oriented from 10 ou2019clock to 4 ou2019clock, from either side of a small, glowing, white star.

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NASA’s Webb Observes Exoplanet Whose Composition Defies Explanation

December 16, 2025

Scientists using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have observed a rare type of exoplanet, or planet outside our…

NASA’s Webb Detects Thick Atmosphere Around Broiling Lava World

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NASA’s Webb Detects Thick Atmosphere Around Broiling Lava World

December 11, 2025

Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have detected the strongest evidence yet for an atmosphere on a…

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter captured this view of Mars’ south polar ice cap Feb. 25, 2015. Three years later, the spacecraft detected a signal from the area to the right of the ice cap that scientists interpreted as an underground lake.

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NASA Orbiter Shines New Light on Long-Running Martian Mystery

November 26, 2025

Results from an enhanced radar technique have demonstrated improvement to sub-surface observations of Mars. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter…