Observations by NASA’s Curiosity Rover indicate Mars' Mount Sharp was built by sediments deposited in a large lake bed over tens of millions of years. This suggests ancient Mars maintained a climate that could have produced long-lasting lakes at many locations on the Red Planet.

Earth is passing through a stream of debris from "rock comet" 3200 Phaethon, source of the annual Geminid meteor shower. Forecasters expect as many as 120 meteors per hour when the shower peaks on Dec. 13-14.

The first colour image from the Rosetta spacecraft shows that Comet 67P is even more dark and monochrome than expected.

As a pair of colliding galaxies merges, a flurry of forming stars produce ultra-bright x-ray bursts

As a pair of colliding galaxies merges, a flurry of forming stars produce ultra-bright x-ray bursts

The scorching impact that formed the moon should have left it completely dry, but a rain of meteorites may have delivered water

Data from the Rosetta probe suggests that water on Earth may not have come from comets, scientists conclude.

ESA's Rosetta spacecraft has found the water vapour from its target comet to be significantly different to that found on Earth. The discovery fuels the debate on the origin of our planet's oceans.

The idea that comets brought water to the young Earth has taken a blow after the discovery that comet 67P's water is very different to that of our planet

"Infant Earths" could expand the search for alien life – but there's a warning note for supposedly habitable planets orbiting mature stars

The flat disc shape of the Milky Way galaxy had been a mystery. Now simulations suggest it could be thanks to winds driven by charged particles

The wobbles caused by gigantic gravitational waves have never been measured directly, but we could use the sun and Jupiter as a huge wave detector

The crater that NASA's Curiosity rover is exploring was once a wide, shallow lake that may have lasted for tens of millions of years

Observations by NASA’s Curiosity Rover indicate Mars' Mount Sharp was built by sediments deposited in a large lake bed over tens of millions of years.

Scientists set out the detailed scientific goals of a proposed UK-led mission to the Moon, including research into the feasibility of a human base there.