Mars Rover discovers 'a completely new thing'

While looking for a safe place to weather the cold Martian winter, the rover Opportunity spied something protruding from the Mars regolith -- something it's never seen before.

Faraway Eris is Pluto's twin

Astronomers have measured the diameter of the dwarf planet Eris by catching it as it passed in front of a faint star. This was seen by telescopes in Chile, including the TRAPPIST telescope at the European Southern Observatory

Was a giant planet ejected from the Solar system?

The "fifth planet" is a hypothesized giant world that was flung out of our solar system 4 billion years ago.

Ten mind-blowing solar views from the SDO: photos

Check out Ten Mind-Blowing Solar Views from the SDO: Photos

New mineral discovered: one of earliest minerals formed in solar system

A team of scientists has discovered a new mineral -- krotite, one of the earliest minerals formed in our solar system. It is the main component of an unusual inclusion embedded in a meteorite (NWA 1934), found in northwest Africa. These objects, known as refractory inclusions, are thought to be the first planetary materials formed in our solar system, dating back to before the formation of Earth and the other planets.

Huge asteroid to pass near Earth in November

The Asteroid 2005 YU55, about 1,300 feet in diameter, will approach Earth within 0.85 lunar distances in early November 2011. Discovered on December 28,

Difficult decisions ahead on Mars

The vision of a joint US and European mission to Mars faces a radical rethink as the US admits its funding will come up $1bn short.

Roots of the solar system: astronomers observe planets in the making

Planets form in disks of dust and gas that surround young stars. A look at the birth places means a journey into the past of Earth and its siblings. Now, astronomers have been able to obtain detailed images of the protoplanetary disks of two stars using the Subaru telescope in Hawaii.

Waiter, there's metal in my moon water!

Bring a filter if you plan on drinking water from the moon. Water ice recently discovered in dust at the bottom of a crater near the moon

Sun unleashes huge solar flare towards Earth

The Sun has unleashed its strongest flare in four years, observers say.