It’s a boom time for studying Mars, and the perfect time for the be-all, end-all summer vacation. Ride a robot rover. Dune-buggy an unearthly dune field. Even meet-and-greet a real live Martian! All aboard for Mars!

After 20 years, star explosion reveals more secrets. What gives in these giant bangs?

Some call it Fall. Some call it spring. But nobody in the Midwest, East Coast or Northern Europe is calling it “winter.” What’s up with our weather?

Where did all the dust come from? If you are interested in the origin of planets and human beings, here’s evidence that a star explosion made mucho dust.

Losing count: New study finds object larger than Pluto in the distant solar system. Do we now have 10 planets — or 8?

Quake was one of top 10 on record. What are earthquakes? How do we study them? Are we any closer to accurate predictions?

Think you know the Milky Way, our home galaxy? Think again. There’s a large bar at the center, and it’s open for business. It might even be feeding a black hole… Meet the newest galactic doo-dad…

What can we learn from whacking comets, up close and personal? What do comets tell us about the early solar system? And what is the role of comets in history?

Cassini finds lightning strikes on Saturn, haze on moon Titan, dust between the rings, and new rotation rate.

New view of crystals that form into planets in protoplanetary disks. Which came first, the planet or the crystals?