We have now entered a second 'golden age' of planetary exploration, with a host
of exciting missions either underway, or due to report back in the next few
years. Probes are able to land on planets or descend into their atmospheres, and
apply powerful analytical techniques to determine their chemical compositions.
The wealth of chemical information sent back from these missions has stimulated
major efforts in laboratory experiments and computational modelling, and created
a fascinating area for multidisciplinary exchange around the theme of the
chemistry of the planets, encompassing aspects of chemistry (physical, organic
and inorganic), physics and astronomy, geology and geochemistry, and exobiology,
proving the right conditions