planetary science

Mercury's magnetic field is about 100 times weaker than that of the Earth - a curiosity that scientists have been trying to make sense of for years.

Recent observations of Mercury's rotation suggest that the planet has a partially molten core, and scientists at the University of Illinois and Case Western Reserve University developed laboratory experiments to model what might be happening beneath the surface.

The Cassini probe has found evidence that there may be an underground ocean on Saturn's moon Titan. The moon is already an area of tremendous interest to planetary scientists, given its dunes, lakes and mountains. It also has one of the most Earth-like surfaces in the solar system. Now, by using radar measurements to detect changes in the moon's rotation, scientists have gotten more insight into what's below the surface.