Space & Earth Science

1. NASA solar probe to make its closest ever pass of sun

   NASA's pioneering Parker Solar Probe is poised to make its closest-ever approach of the sun on Christmas Eve, a record-setting 3.8 million miles (6.2 million kilometers) from the surface.

2. Two Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting nearby star detected

   An international team of astronomers has reported the discovery of two exoplanets orbiting a nearby star known as HD 101581. The newfound alien worlds are slightly smaller than Earth and orbit its host very closely. The discovery was detailed in a paper published Dec. 12 on the pre-print server arXiv.

3. Where's the most promising place to find Martian life?

   New research suggests that our best hopes for finding existing life on Mars isn't on the surface, but buried deep within the crust.

4. NASA is developing solutions for lunar housekeeping's biggest problem: Dust

   Through the Artemis Program, NASA will send the first astronauts to the moon since the Apollo Era before 2030. They will be joined by multiple space agencies, such as the ESA and China, who plan to send astronauts (and "taikonauts") there for the first time. Beyond this, all plan to build permanent habitats in the South Pole–Aitken Basin and the necessary infrastructure that will lead to a permanent human presence. This presents many challenges, the most notable being those arising from the nature of the lunar environment.