The Europlanet Science Congress 2026 will cover various topics in planetary research, including the Solar System, exoplanets, and artificial intelligence. The conference will feature over 125 scientific sessions and keynote talks, with around 1200 planetary scientists attending from 40 countries.
The Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure project has shown that robust evaluation and networking lead to better science and long-lasting collaborations. The project resulted in over 250 publications and conferences, with mentoring programs and expert exchanges supporting early-career researchers.
The Programmable Liquid-crystal Active Coronagraphic Imager for the DAG telescope (PLACID) will improve detection and direct imaging of exoplanets using liquid crystals. It can adapt to complex mask configurations, enabling direct imaging of circumbinary planets and proto-planetary discs.
Asteroid rotation is dependent on collision frequency and internal friction. Gaia's dataset reveals a gap in rotational periods versus diameter, solved by a new model of asteroid-spin evolution. Tumbling motion starts from slow spinning due to increased collision vulnerability.
Recent experiments and field tests in a wind tunnel and quarry show that spherical rovers, known as Tumbleweed rovers, can harness the power of Martian winds to navigate over various terrains. The results validate simulations and demonstrate the potential for large-scale and low-cost exploration of the Martian surface.
RECA Educación, a Colombian non-profit network, has been awarded the Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement 2025. The organization brings science education to schools and communities in Colombia, reaching hundreds of schools across the country.
New research suggests that technological alien life may be rare on planets without plate tectonics and too little carbon dioxide. The study found that a planet with 10% carbon dioxide could maintain a biosphere for up to 4.2 billion years, while one with 1% carbon dioxide would last only 3.1 billion years.
A rare glimpse into Mars's north polar vortex has revealed that it produces a seasonal ozone layer. The extreme cold temperatures inside the vortex allow ozone to accumulate, making it essential for understanding Martian atmosphere chemistry. This finding has significant implications for the search for past life on Mars.
Two studies reveal that natural processes can bring organic-rich materials to the Mars rover, increasing its diversity of samples. Rockfalls in Oxia Planum may have originated from elsewhere on Mars and were deposited through a series of floods over 3.5 billion years ago.
Researchers suggest that interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS could become seeds for giant planets, solving a long-standing puzzle about their rarity. By capturing millions of these objects, planetary formation can be sped up, allowing gas giants to form within the lifetime of the planet-forming disc.
Planets with 10% carbon dioxide could maintain a biosphere for 4.2 billion years, while those with 1% carbon dioxide last only 3.1 billion years. These conditions make the existence of technological alien life unlikely, with estimated lifetimes ranging from 280,000 to millions of years.
Scientists have captured images of Mars' aurorae and developed tools to predict when they will occur on the Red Planet. The predictions are crucial for ensuring astronaut safety during solar storms.
A new technique uses ground-based observations and DART data to calculate safe asteroid deflection spots. The method takes into account asteroid shape, surface topology, rotation, and mass to minimize the risk of pushing the asteroid through a 'gravitational keyhole'.
New research questions the origin of organic molecules in Enceladus's plumes, suggesting they could be formed by radiation on Saturn's surface rather than originating from the sub-surface ocean. This challenges astrobiologists' assumptions about the moon's habitability.
The Europlanet Science Congress 2025 will feature press briefings on the RAMSES mission to asteroid Apophis and recent discoveries with the Juno Mission. These events aim to improve our ability to defend Earth from potential asteroid threats.
Three planetary scientists have been awarded Europlanet Career Medals for their contributions to planetary science. Dr Tim Lichtenberg received the Early-Career Medal for his work on planetary formation and exoplanet evolution, while Dr Benoit Carry won the Mid-Career Medal for his research on asteroid structures and planetary defence.
The Europlanet Science Congress 2025 will bring together 1900 oral and poster presentations on various topics in planetary science, including Solar System exploration and the search for life beyond our planet. Media representatives are invited to attend EPSC-DPS2025, a fully hybrid conference with live virtual participation options.
Researchers have discovered dense, large-scale structures beneath a lost ocean on Mars, using gravity data from multiple missions. The findings suggest active processes in the martian mantle may be boosting the largest volcano, Olympus Mons.
A new volcano has been discovered on Jupiter's moon Io through analysis of JunoCam images, featuring multiple lava flows and volcanic deposits. The volcano is located just south of the equator and showcases the moon's ongoing geological activity.
The Cloud Atlas database showcases an array of atmospheric phenomena on Mars, including cloud formations, dust storms, and gravity waves. Scientists can study these events to better understand the Martian atmosphere's physical nature and appearance, as well as its climate cycles.
The ESA Hera mission is set to launch in just under a month, with representatives discussing the mission's expectations and current status. The BepiColombo Mission to Mercury is also being updated following its successful flyby, with insights into previous flybys and plans for the remainder of the mission.
Ravit Helled received the 2024 Paolo Farinella Prize for her work on planetary interiors, proposing a dilute core structure that was later confirmed by mission data. Her research also explores giant planet formation and evolution, with international contributions to NASA and ESA missions.
The 2024 Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC2024) will be held in Berlin from September 8-13, covering a wide range of planetary research topics. Over 1,200 scientists from Europe and worldwide are expected to attend the fully hybrid meeting.
A recent study published in Nature Astronomy revealed that positively charged carbon ions are being accelerated to escape speeds in a previously unexplored region of Venus's magnetosphere. This discovery sheds new light on the planet's atmospheric evolution and the loss of its historical water content.
The EXPLORE toolkit offers interactive visual analytics and machine learning to analyze galaxy data, identify unusual stars, and visualize the lunar surface. Users can create immersive experiences, including 3D models of the Moon and interactive sky maps.
The BepiColombo mission has successfully observed how electrons raining down on Mercury's surface can trigger high-energy auroras. The observations confirm that the mechanism generating aurorae is the same throughout the Solar System.
The BepiColombo and Solar Orbiter missions provided a unique insight into Venus' atmosphere retention through their gravity-assist flyby. The study revealed that the induced magnetosphere protects the atmosphere from solar wind erosion, extending to an unexpected distance of 1,900 km above the planet's surface.
A study published in the Astrophysical Journal reveals a strong correlation between cosmic ray counts and the solar cycle at Mars and Venus. The research found that cosmic rays are suppressed during peak solar activity, highlighting the importance of understanding these interactions for future robotic missions and human exploration.
Researchers identify signs of an impact crater on the Iberian Peninsula for the first time, revealing a 4-kilometer-wide structure surrounded by 20-kilometer-large sedimentary collapse area. The discovery was made after 15 years of research involving international teams from Spain and Europe.
The ExoClock project, supported by European Space Agency's Ariel mission, has presented 450 candidate exoplanet target orbits and received contributions from 217 professional and amateur astronomers. Small telescopes can successfully observe most targets, highlighting the value of amateur community involvement in space research.
The 2022 EXPLORE Lunar Data Challenge identifies hazards on the Moon's surface using images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Participants train models to recognize craters and boulders, then create a map of optimal rover routes to avoid hazards.
Scientists have discovered a massive heat wave in Jupiter's atmosphere, extending over 10 Earth diameters and reaching temperatures of 700 degrees Celsius. The heat wave was triggered by solar wind plasma impacting the planet's magnetic field, distributing energy globally around Jupiter.
The Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement 2022 was awarded to Dr. Kosmas Gazeas and the team behind 'Planets In Your Hand', an interactive tactile exhibition that provides a multisensory experience of planetary surfaces. The exhibition has been traveling to schools, universities, and organizations, reaching thousands of visitors.
A study at Europlanet Science Congress 2022 found that super-thin planet nurseries can accelerate the formation of big planets. The team observed a remarkably thin disc of dust and gas around a young star, where large particles settled into a dense midplane, creating conditions favourable for planetary growth.
A four-legged robot trained through artificial intelligence has mastered jumping to navigate the Moon's rugged terrain. The robot can collect samples and deploy scientific instruments, overcoming limitations of traditional rovers in loose soil and steep slopes.
Citizen scientist Gerald Eichstädt presents 3D renders of Jupiter's cloud tops using JunoCam data, revealing textured swirls and peaks. The team uses solar illumination to pinpoint elevation, aiming to unveil the chemical composition of the clouds.
Julie Castillo-Rogez and Martin Jutzi have made significant contributions to understanding asteroids, including their origins and dynamical evolution. Their work has advanced our knowledge of asteroids, from small bodies to planetary scales, with implications for ongoing space missions.
A new virtual hiking map for Jezero crater has been created using orbital imagery, terrain data, and real-time 3D panoramic views. The map allows users to explore the Martian surface in detail, including steep slopes and immersive environments.
The Europlanet Science Congress 2022 will feature press briefings on the ESA Hera Mission, which investigates Binary Asteroid (65803) Didymos and the DART Crater. The event will also cover solar system observations with the Webb space telescope.
The 2022 Europlanet Science Congress will bring together planetary scientists to discuss life beyond Earth. Over 60 scientific sessions cover topics such as current and upcoming missions, astrobiology, and space weather.
Dr James O'Donoghue has been awarded the Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement 2021 for creating engaging and accessible space science animations. His work has reached over 200 million views on YouTube and is widely used in educational institutions around the world.
The Chang'e-5 mission brought back nearly two kilograms of lunar rocks and dust, including a mix of 'exotic' fragments that may preserve records of other lunar surface areas. The youngest geological area of the Moon's nearside has yielded insights into past volcanic activity
Researchers used Mars Odyssey data to identify sub-surface water ice deposits in temperate regions of Mars. Seasonal variations suggest significant quantities of water ice can be found beneath the surface, making them ideal resources for future human missions.
Engineers have successfully extracted water and oxygen from lunar soil using a two-step process, which could support future human exploration of the Moon. The system uses a mineral mixture that mimics lunar soil and produces gases through electrolysis, making it scalable and self-sustained.
Clouds have been detected on the distant exoplanet WASP-127b, and their altitude has been measured for the first time. The observations reveal that water vapor is present at lower levels but screened by clouds opaque to visible light, while sodium is found in an unexpected place.
A team of astronomers used dashcam footage to track a fireball over Slovenia, recovering three space rocks and tracing their origins in the Solar System. The fragments provide insights into the history of our Solar System and potential hazards like Near Earth Objects.
Physicist Diana Valencia and planetary scientist Lena Noack were awarded the 2021 Paolo Farinella Prize for their significant contributions to understanding terrestrial and super-Earth exoplanets. Their work has led to a deeper understanding of Earth-like exoplanet composition and evolution, critical for assessing habitability.
The European facility will study samples from asteroids and the Moon at a macroscopic level, unlocking exciting science on the formation and evolution of planetary bodies. The first instruments will be delivered in summer 2022, with the laboratory expected to fully operational by 2023.
Researchers propose that giant hailstones called mushballs carry ammonia deep into the atmospheres of ice giants Uranus and Neptune, hiding it from detection. This process could explain the unexpected lack of ammonia in their atmospheres compared to other planets.
The Ariel Machine Learning Data Challenge has announced its winners, ML Analytics and TU Dortmund University, who developed highly accurate solutions for observing exoplanet atmospheres despite instrument noise. The winning teams will receive a cash prize of €500 and present their research at various conferences.