Earth, Moon, and Planets

• 1. Introduction

  ›

  Earth, Moon, and Planets is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that traces its origins to one of the most dramatic moments in human exploration. In 1969, as Apollo 11 brought the first humans to the lunar surface, three scientists saw an opportunity. Zdenek Kopal, Hannes Alfven, and Harold Urey founded a journal specifically to channel the surge of new knowledge about the Moon that the space age was producing. What began as a narrowly focused publication has since expanded in scope across three name changes, shifting from lunar studies alone to the full sweep of planetary science and Earth's place within it. How did a journal born from one lunar mission grow to cover asteroids, comets, the origins of distant solar systems, and the hazards that objects from space pose to Earth? That is what this documentary explores.

• 2. Apollo and a Journal's Birth

  ›

  Zdenek Kopal, Hannes Alfven, and Harold Urey conceived the journal in direct response to the Apollo 11 Moon Landing of 1969. Their stated aim was to create an interdisciplinary but monothematic medium for publishing original investigations across all fields of lunar studies. The publisher they chose was Reidel, a Dutch house that would later merge with Kluwer and eventually be absorbed into Springer Nature. The journal's founding title, The Moon, said exactly what it was: a single-subject publication for a moment when humanity was suddenly producing more lunar science than any existing outlet could absorb. That tight focus reflected the ambitions of three scientists who wanted original research to have a dedicated home, distinct from general astronomy journals of the time.

• 3. Widening the Lens

  ›

  By 1978, the editors recognized that the Moon could not remain the journal's only subject. Planetary science had matured, and the solar system demanded coverage. The journal broadened its scope and adopted the name The Moon and the Planets, a title it held from 1978 to 1983. Then, in February 1984, the journal changed its name once more, becoming Earth, Moon, and Planets. This third title reflected a further expansion: the study of Earth itself, examined through the perspective of planetary science rather than purely terrestrial disciplines. The sequence of names tells a story of a field that kept growing. Each renaming was not a rebranding exercise but a recognition that the science had outpaced the earlier title's reach.

• 4. Scope and Coverage

  ›

  Published approximately ten times per year by Springer Science and Business Media, Earth, Moon, and Planets covers formation of stars and planets, the evolution of the solar system and its origin, and the evolution of extra-solar systems. The journal also addresses asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and near-Earth objects, along with the hazards those objects pose if they strike Earth. Physical and chemical properties of celestial bodies fall within its scope, as does the chaotic behavior those bodies can exhibit. Beyond original research articles, the journal publishes conference proceedings, review articles, book reviews, and special issues, giving it a range of formats suited to a scientific community that communicates in multiple ways. The editor-in-chief at the University of Manchester, Jamie D. Gilmour, oversees this broad mandate today.

• 5. Editors Who Shaped the Journal

  ›

  Six editors-in-chief have guided Earth, Moon, and Planets across its history. The sequence runs from Zdenek Kopal, one of the journal's three founders, through Vladimir Vanysek, Mark E. Bailey, Giovanni Valsecchi, and Murthy S. Gudipati, to the current editor Jamie D. Gilmour of the University of Manchester. Each editor oversaw the journal during a different phase of planetary science, and the editorial succession covers the entire arc from Apollo-era lunar focus to the multi-disciplinary planetary science publication the journal became. Kopal's role as both founder and first editor-in-chief gave the journal a strong initial identity; subsequent editors steered it through its expansions in scope and its eventual transition to open access.

• 6. Discover Space and Open Access

  ›

  In 2024, the journal was re-launched under a new name: Discover Space. The change accompanied a shift to a fully open-access model, removing subscription barriers for readers anywhere in the world. The new identity also signals support for multidisciplinary research and policy developments across all fields relevant to space science, a broader mandate than the research-only focus the journal carried for most of its history. The transition from a subscription journal founded in the Apollo era to an open-access publication called Discover Space marks the most significant structural change in the journal's history since its founding in 1969.