- Planets: something in the air
The differences between the atmospheres of various planets can provide important clues about the formation and evolution of the solar system. Therese Encrenaz reviews the latest findings.
- Mysteries of the Sun
Despite centuries of study, scientists still do not fully understand the Sun's magnetic field. Eugene Parker explains how this magnetic activity influences solar phenomena ranging from X-ray emissions to solar flares.
- Comets: history in the sky
The composition of comets should reflect the material that originally formed the solar system. Colin Pillinger describes Rosetta, a mission that will monitor the comet Wirtanen as it travels towards the Sun.
- Inside the solid planets and moons
Indirect methods must be used to probe inside distant planets. Gerald Schubert describes what such techniques have revealed about the internal structure of solid planetary bodies, including the moons of Jupiter.
Features
Oct 7, 1997
Exploring the solar system: a special issue
There has been intense public interest in Mars recently due to the pictures from NASA's Pathfinder mission. But Mars is just one of the nine planets in the solar system and space scientists are interested in all of them - as well as comets, Jupiter's moons and, of course, the Sun itself.