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The main opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar said Buhari’s suspension of Onnoghen was “a brazen act of dictatorship” in a clear reference to his army past. (Mujahid Safodien/AFP)

Probe to sniff Martian methane mystery

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter will circle the planet and measure minute levels of atmospheric gases.

How ‘planety’ is Planet Nine?

Evidence of a distant giant planet lurking secretly in our solar system is compelling, according to researchers.

Eye on the SKA will enable us to map the entire universe

The Square Kilometre Array will contribute to huge surveys that seek to answer questions like: Is there life out there and how do galaxies form.

An artist’s rendition of Nasa’s planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft.

Habitable planets: The ideal home in the Goldilocks Zone

Astronomers are discovering more and more exoplanets that could support life as we know it, but distance from a sun is only one critical requirement.

The newly discovered Kepler-10c is within its sun’s habitable zone.

Goldilocks, meet Godzilla

A newly discovered "mega-Earth" shouldn’t even exist, yet its features suggest it could sustain life.

Underground ocean discovered on Saturn moon

Gravity measurements taken by a Nasa spacecraft indicate that a small moon orbiting Saturn contains an underground ocean in its southern hemisphere.

Earth a little bit cramped, says shortlisted Mars explorer

Florence Porcel, a Frenchwoman living in Paris, would give anything to live on Mars, saying she has always felt "a bit cramped on Earth".

Rediscover the thrill of adventure

Rediscover the thrill of adventure

Gwen Ansell glories in the breathless wonder and excitement that speculative fiction can still provide.

Planets found in Milky Way

Planets found in Milky Way

The planets, found by researchers at Notre Dame University, in the United States, do not orbit any star.