Blogs
Guest blogs from 2014
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/07/21 08:03 CDT | 3 comments
A single day's observations take us from orbital overviews all the way down to ground truth.
Mars and Europa: Contrasts in Mission Planning
Posted by Van Kane on 2014/07/19 02:08 CDT | 21 comments
Several announcements for proposed missions to Mars and on the planning for a NASA return to Europa that highlight the contrasts in planning missions for these two high priority destinations.
Posted by Stuart Atkinson on 2014/07/18 12:02 CDT | 16 comments
A European space enthusiast, children's author, and volunteer astronomy outreach worker asks for more images from Rosetta.
How Arecibo Observatory Transmits to the ISEE-3 Spacecraft
Posted by Alessondra Springmann on 2014/07/16 03:51 CDT | 1 comment
Talking to spacecraft is a normal occurrence at Arecibo Observatory, but sometimes the nuts and bolts are a little unconventional.
Posted by Mark Robinson on 2014/07/11 12:01 CDT | 1 comment
High resolution images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera detail the 1973 path of the Soviet rover Lunokhod 2.
Posted by Peter Rosén on 2014/07/08 02:15 CDT | 3 comments
In 1979, the Voyager 1 probe took a stunning series of images on its final approach to Jupiter. Thirty-five years later, almost to the day, a group of seven Swedish amateur astronomers set out to replicate this odyssey, but with images taken with their own ground-based telescopes.
The Habitable Zone of Inhabited Planets
Posted by Jaime Green on 2014/07/07 03:14 CDT | 10 comments
A team of Colombian researchers are arguing for a new refinement to the idea of the habitable zone that takes the presence of life itself into account.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Nears End of Murray Ridge, Pillinger Point Christened
Sols 3680-3709
Posted by A.J.S. Rayl on 2014/07/03 03:44 CDT | 6 comments
Opportunity got off to a bumpy start in June, but the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission pressed on, continuing the exploration of Murray Ridge at the western rim of Endeavour Crater.
Pretty pictures of the Cosmos: Interacting galaxies
Posted by Adam Block on 2014/07/02 10:27 CDT
Award-winning astrophotographer Adam Block showcases some of his stunning images of what happens when galaxies get a little too close to each other.
Posted by Marc Rayman on 2014/07/01 11:34 CDT | 9 comments
Dawn's chief engineer and mission director Marc Rayman gives an overview of the plan for the penultimate orbital phase at Ceres, the “high altitude mapping orbit” (HAMO).
Field Report From Mars: Sol 3705 – June 27, 2014
Posted by Larry Crumpler on 2014/06/30 07:30 CDT
Opportunity has left the winter haven and is still driving south along the rim of Endeavour crater, currently exploring an outcrop a few meters from crater rim.
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/06/23 09:36 CDT | 3 comments
Seeing Saturn before and after Cassini.
One Number, Two Budgets
The Senate and House have both agreed to increase NASA's budget to $17.9B, but they have very different ways of spending that money
Posted by Van Kane on 2014/06/17 01:03 CDT | 2 comments
The Senate and House have both agreed to increase NASA's budget to $17.9 billion, but they have very different ways of spending that money. The House bill would add additional funding to almost every category of the Planetary Science budget and would greatly strengthen NASA’s program of planetary exploration. The Senate bill would add substantial funds to the Mars program but pay for this by cuts to other portions of the planetary budget.
The OSIRIS-REx Design Reference Mission
Posted by Dante Lauretta on 2014/06/12 06:18 CDT
This week the OSIRIS-REx team gathered at the Lockheed Martin facility in Denver to perform a “Design Reference Mission (DRM)” walkthrough. The DRM is basically the battle plan for OSIRIS-REx for accomplishing our goal of returning pristine samples from asteroid Bennu.
A Checkup on Future Mars Missions
Posted by Van Kane on 2014/06/09 04:59 CDT | 3 comments
NASA’s Mars Exploration Analysis Group (MEPAG) recently reviewed plans by Europe, the Japanese, and NASA for future Mars exploration. The prognosis is for another exciting decade of Mars exploration.
Posted by Adam Block on 2014/06/06 03:01 CDT
Award-winning astrophotographer Adam Block shares some of his recent work.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Hunts Ancient Clays along Murray Ridge
Sols 3650-3680
Posted by A.J.S. Rayl on 2014/06/05 10:11 CDT
At the western rim of Endeavour Crater, Opportunity spent the month of May exploring a new clayground along Murray Ridge and the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) mission trundled into the 125th month of what was originally to be a short, 3-month tour.
The construction of OSIRIS-REx has begun!
Posted by Dante Lauretta on 2014/06/05 09:54 CDT
The construction of OSIRIS-REx has begun! Seeing the core structure being assembled demonstrated that OSIRIS-REx is no longer just a set of drawings and PowerPoint charts, it is starting to become a real spacecraft.
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/06/03 11:17 CDT
Pioneer trails extend all the way to Mars.
Dawn Journal: Survey Orbit at Ceres
Posted by Marc Rayman on 2014/06/03 09:59 CDT | 2 comments
This month Dawn's mission director Marc Rayman continues the preview of how Dawn will explore Ceres, this time in its survey orbit.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's Ongoing Adventure
Posted by Samuel Lawrence on 2014/05/29 06:16 CDT | 4 comments
A few people think that when it comes to the Moon, because we’ve “been there, and done that,” there is nothing new left to discover. But that viewpoint could not be farther from the truth!
Planetary Society Canada Update
Posted by Kate Howells on 2014/05/28 06:33 CDT
Canadian National Coordinator Kate Howells provides an update on the state of the Society's Canadian initiative.
Posted by Philip Evans on 2014/05/28 11:21 CDT
The Twittersphere has been alive with speculation about a Gamma Ray Burst in the nearby galaxy M31. The problem is, there was never a claim of such an event, and it turns out that the tentative result that triggered this story was overstated.
Will we find signs of tectonics on Pluto? And what would that mean?
Posted by Joseph O'Rourke on 2014/05/26 09:45 CDT | 1 comment
Joseph O’Rourke summarizes a recently submitted paper on tectonic activity on Pluto after the Charon-forming impact.
The value of a Guest Investigator program for Dawn
Posted by Anne Verbiscer on 2014/05/23 09:20 CDT | 1 comment
NASA selected 21 Participating Scientists to join the Dawn team in 2010, prior to Dawn's arrival at Vesta in 2011. Since that time, Dawn Participating Scientists have made enormous contributions to the mission, as they do for most other NASA missions. But the status of a Participating Scientist program for Dawn at Ceres has been in doubt.
A Reluctant Dance Towards Europa
or, Why A Credible Europa Mission is Likely to Cost ~$2B
Posted by Van Kane on 2014/05/14 12:42 CDT | 15 comments
For the last two years, NASA has been the shy partner refusing to get on the dance floor, and Congress has been the aggressive partner insisting on a dance now. Recently, NASA has said maybe on another night but only if it’s a cheap date. While NASA says no for now, Congress looks to be willing to slip the band a cool $100M – on top of $150M already paid – to keep the music playing, but (to keep the metaphor going) has not been willing to fully commit itself to paying the bigger bill to rent the dance hall. The dance, of course, is the continuing attempt by Congress to have NASA commit to a mission to explore Europa, and NASA’s attempts to delay a mission well into the 2020s.
The Case of the 5-Millisecond Cosmic Radio Burst
Posted by Katherine Mack on 2014/05/14 10:49 CDT
Everyone loves a good mystery. In astronomy, there is nothing more exciting than an unexplained signal.
What’s Seeping on Mars? Recurring Slope Lineae
Posted by Matthew Chojnacki on 2014/05/13 09:53 CDT | 13 comments
HiRISE team member Matt Chojnacki tells us about the discovery and formation of these mysterious features forming on Mars in the present day.
Field Report From Mars: Sol 3650 – May 2, 2014
Posted by Larry Crumpler on 2014/05/12 11:09 CDT | 1 comment
Opportunity is closing in on the next important outcrop area on the rim of Endeavour crater.
Another Day in the Solar System
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/05/12 09:56 CDT | 1 comment
One day, five worlds.
New Horizons: Updates From the April 2014 Science Team Meeting
Posted by Simon Porter on 2014/05/07 06:36 CDT | 1 comment
New Horizons team member Simon Porter reports on the state of the mission and Pluto system science from the recent science team meeting at the Applied Physics Laboratory.
Dawn Journal: Explaining Orbit Insertion
Posted by Marc Rayman on 2014/05/06 08:21 CDT | 4 comments
Less than a year from its rendezvous with dwarf planet Ceres, Dawn is continuing to make excellent progress on its ambitious interplanetary adventure. But once it gets to Ceres, just how will it go into orbit? Marc Rayman explains.
How Weird Is Our Solar System?
Posted by Jaime Green on 2014/05/05 10:54 CDT | 6 comments
Earth and its solar system compatriots all have nearly circular orbits, but many exoplanets orbit their stars on wildly eccentric paths. Is our home system strange? Or is our sense of the data skewed?
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Roves to Next Clay Mine
Sols 3619 - 3650
Posted by A.J.S. Rayl on 2014/05/02 10:36 CDT | 3 comments
The Mars Exploration Rovers mission cruised toward the Martian spring, Opportunity is powered-up and cleaner than it has been since its first winter on Mars.
Highlights From OSIRIS-REx Science Team Meeting #6
Posted by Dante Lauretta on 2014/04/30 07:49 CDT
The OSIRIS-REx Science Team gathered at the University of Arizona from April 22–24, 2014 for their sixth meeting. Principal Investigator Dante Lauretta discusses a few of the highlights.
Another Pale Blue Dot — Uranus Spied By Cassini
Posted by Val KlavansIan Regan on 2014/04/30 06:53 CDT | 1 comment
The Cassini mission has already returned an array of images of other solar system members from Saturn orbit: Earth (and the Moon), Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. It’s time to add another world to that list!
Green Bank Telescope Helps Out an Old Friend
Posted by Tania Burchell on 2014/04/28 09:26 CDT
The Green Bank Telescope has been called into emergency service to play radar ping-pong on a close-by asteroid with Arecibo Observatory’s 100-meter William E. Gordon radio telescope.
Spitzer Space Telescope Observations of Bennu
Posted by Dante Lauretta on 2014/04/24 10:06 CDT
What can studying the thermal emission of Bennu with the Spitzer Space Telescope tell us about its physical properties?
Forensic Ballistics: How Apollo 12 Helped Solve the Skydiver Meteorite Mystery
Posted by Philip Metzger on 2014/04/21 09:33 CDT | 7 comments
What can a 45-year-old mission to the Moon tell us about a "meteorite" flying past a skydiver on Earth?
Posted by Augusto Carballido on 2014/04/16 02:50 CDT | 9 comments
How did planets originate? This is a question that has puzzled scientists for centuries, but one which they have been able to tackle directly only in the last few decades, thanks to two major developments: breakthroughs in telescope technology and ever-increasing computing power.
Interview with a Mars Explorer
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/04/14 08:03 CDT | 5 comments
A conversation with Dr. Sarah Milkovich, HiRISE Investigation Scientist.
Will We Finally Rove Mawrth Vallis?
Posted by J. Brian Balta on 2014/04/10 05:44 CDT | 3 comments
Mawrth Vallis was axed as a landing site for Curiosity, but will we get a chance to explore it with ESA's ExoMars rover?
Posted by Phil Stooke on 2014/04/10 03:08 CDT | 1 comment
We don’t hear a lot at the moment about Chang’E 3 and Yutu, the Chinese lander and rover which were all over the news a few months ago. But Phil Stooke has been collecting news online and in person last month at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference and now tries to put it all together and address the current state of the mission.
Come Rock the Planet with Yuri’s Night!!
Posted by Loretta HidalgoDanielle Hannah on 2014/04/09 06:10 CDT
First launched on April 12, 2001, Yuri’s Night celebrates two amazing accomplishments of humankind: Yuri Gagarin’s becoming the first human to orbit the earth in 1961 and the first launch of the U.S. Space Shuttle, twenty years later to the day. It is also a global celebration of humanity’s future in space and how we can use space to bring us closer together.
Arecibo Observatory operational after repairs to fix earthquake damage
Posted by Alessondra Springmann on 2014/04/09 09:48 CDT | 2 comments
Early in the morning on January 13, 2014, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck beneath the Atlantic Ocean north of Puerto Rico, damaging Arecibo Observatory, the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope. The telescope is now operational after repairs and scientists have resumed observations. However, the future of Arecibo Observatory remains unclear due to funding uncertainties in the federal budget.
The Spring Equinox 2014 issue of The Planetary Report is here!
Posted by Donna Stevens on 2014/04/08 04:46 CDT
Wind-sculpted sand—that is how I think of dunes. In our main feature, “The Dune Whispers,” Ralph D. Lorenz describes the formation, and varieties, of these fascinating and beautiful works of planetary art.
Opposition time for Mars, and several months of dancing with the stars
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/04/08 08:47 CDT | 1 comment
The Mars Express team showcases some of the best viewing opportunities of Mars in 2014, including how to spot Comet Siding Spring when it flies past Mars this October.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Powers Up in Cook Haven and in Fans' Minds
Sols 3590 – 3621
Posted by A.J.S. Rayl on 2014/04/07 03:05 CDT | 1 comment
At the Solander Point section of the rim of Endeavour Crater, Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity spent the month of March just off Murray Ridge working on its final targets in Cook Haven and dusting itself in the winds of winter, while MER mission officials on Earth were roving toward what may be the robot's current greatest potential threat – being cut from NASA's planetary science budget.
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/04/07 10:02 CDT
How I took a high-res photo of an intriguing spot on the Red Planet--and how you can, too.
Field Report From Mars: Sol 3623 – April 3, 2014
Posted by Larry Crumpler on 2014/04/06 01:17 CDT
Larry Crumpler gives an update on Opportunity's current location, next long-term target, and excitingly increasing power levels.
Fireworks in the Earth's Sky Sent from the Moon: Reflections from LPSC 2014
Posted by Deepak Dhingra on 2014/04/03 07:00 CDT
Deepak Dhingra reports on presentations from this year's Lunar and Planetary Science Conference focusing on how impacts on the Moon have affected Earth.
Discovery Missions for an Icy Moon with Active Plumes
Posted by Van Kane on 2014/04/02 07:31 CDT | 8 comments
In December, scientists announced the discovery of possible plumes of water being ejected from Jupiters’s moon Europa. If confirmed, Europa would be the second moon with confirmed plumes after Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Two Discovery mission proposals for Enceladus suggest the types of missions that may be proposed for Europa.
Dawn Journal: Orbital Trajectories
Posted by Marc Rayman on 2014/04/01 09:48 CDT | 3 comments
Marc Rayman updates us on Dawn's status and explains how the spacecraft is actually getting closer to Earth at the moment as it moves deeper into the asteroid belt.
LPSC 2014: The Curious Case of Active Volcanism on Venus
Posted by Constantine Tsang on 2014/04/01 12:10 CDT | 5 comments
She’s alive! She’s alive! Or is she? A little more than a week ago, at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2014, evidence was presented that Venus was geologically active, not in the recent past, like 100,000 years ago, but right now.
Comet Siding Spring Mars encounter: Cosmic bully spotted by ESA and NASA
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/03/31 05:46 CDT
Hubble has taken some great new images of our 'friend,' Comet Siding Spring, due to pass by Mars at less than 136,000 km on October 19 – less than half the distance between Earth and our moon.
Posted by Achim Vollhardt on 2014/03/28 01:25 CDT | 3 comments
ICE has been on a journey for over 30 years around our sun. While the owner has decided not to bring the ship back to its home port, a group of radio amateurs tries to find out how ICE is doing.
A Centaur’s shadow reveals bright rings
Posted by Alex Parker on 2014/03/27 09:28 CDT | 7 comments
Yesterday, a team of astronomers announced that they discovered a set of planet-like rings around Chariklo, an asteroid-like body that currently resides in the unstable region between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus.
Detecting Spacetime Distortions
Posted by Katherine Mack on 2014/03/25 08:17 CDT | 4 comments
Katie Mack explains why the BICEP2 detection of primordial gravitational waves has left astrophysicists at a loss for words.
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/03/24 09:30 CDT | 5 comments
Cassini images in motion.
Comet Siding Spring Mars encounter: Ya gotta have a little ‘tude
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/03/24 03:44 CDT
In the latest update on how the Mars Express flight control team is planning to deal with Comet Siding Spring is all about attitude -- and hiding behind the biggest guy in the fight.
Further Analysis of NASA's FY15 Budget Proposal: Steady As She Goes?
Posted by Van Kane on 2014/03/22 10:23 CDT
The President’s proposed Fiscal Year 2015 budget details were released last week. For the next several years, the budget proposes a steady as she goes plan, but with two “what are they thinking?” surprises.
Posted by Kirby Runyon on 2014/03/21 07:38 CDT | 3 comments
Calling your senators and representatives about NASA's budget isn't that bad. In fact, I just took 15 minutes out of my day to do it! If you're not sure what to say to support planetary exploration, I hope you'll be inspired by what I've transcribed from my phone call this afternoon.
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/03/18 12:42 CDT | 8 comments
Get an astronaut's view into several lunar craters.
Posted by Amanda Zangari on 2014/03/12 03:26 CDT | 2 comments
Amanda Zangari shares what it's like to be a scientist on New Horizons, and explains some of the day-to-day workings of the mission behind the scenes.
Comet Siding Spring Mars encounter: How to determine the orbit of a comet?
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/03/12 02:02 CDT | 2 comments
In the quest to track Comet Siding Spring, the Mars Express team tells us how computing the orbit of a comet isn't as straightforward as science fiction would have us believe.
Why Cosmos should matter, especially to Hollywood
Posted by Taryn O'Neill on 2014/03/07 01:52 CST | 3 comments
For a town dependent on Stars, there are far too few people here who look up at the sky. But come this Sunday, March 9, the epic series of science, space and humanity will return: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Why does it matter for Hollywood, specifically? I'll tell you why it will. And then why it should.
Hypervelocity Cratering and Riding Out the Risk
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/03/06 07:34 CST
Today's update from the Mars Express team contains the realisation that, for some of the risks associated with October's Siding Spring flyby, there may not be much the team can do.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Cruises Through Winter Solstice, Into Year 11
Sols 3564 - 3590
Posted by A.J.S. Rayl on 2014/03/05 01:32 CST
The Mars Exploration Rover mission put its 10th anniversary in the rear view mirror in February and roved on into its 11th year of surface operations at Endeavour Crater.
Space is really, really big – except sometimes it isn’t
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/03/04 11:19 CST
Here's the next installment in the continuing story of how the Mars Express team is preparing for Comet Siding Spring flyby, 19 October 2014. This week: introducing the spacecraft's subsystems and structure – and wondering how we can absorb impacts.
Eyes and stopwatch are all that are needed to help measure an invisible asteroid
Posted by Ted Blank on 2014/03/03 01:04 CST | 1 comment
Would you like to be part of one of the largest citizen-science efforts in the history of astronomy? The International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA) invites you to join in the campaign to observe and time the best and brightest asteroid occultation ever predicted to occur over a populated area – and no telescope is required!
Dawn Journal: Maneuvering Around Ceres
Posted by Marc Rayman on 2014/03/03 06:00 CST | 2 comments
Continuing its daring mission to explore some of the last uncharted worlds in the inner solar system, Dawn remains on course and on schedule for its rendezvous with dwarf planet Ceres next year.
Comet Siding Spring Mars encounter: Why orienting Mars Express is the heart of the challenge
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/02/28 12:25 CST
Today's post continues where we started last week with an update from the Mars Express Flight Control Team at ESOC on their preparations for the 19 October Comet Siding Springs flyby. Today: defining the challenge!
Reflecting on NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission, launching today
Posted by J. Marshall Shepherd on 2014/02/27 11:31 CST | 2 comments
Former deputy project scientist and current science team member J. Marshall Shepherd tells us why missions like NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) are vital to our way of life.
Mars Express team readies for Siding Spring
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/02/26 01:31 CST | 3 comments
On Sunday, 19 October 2014, at around 18:30 UTC, comet C/2013 A1 – known widely as 'Siding Spring' after the Australian observatory where it was discovered in January 2013 – will make a close fly-by of Mars.
Field Report From Mars: Sol 3572 – February 10, 2014
Posted by Larry Crumpler on 2014/02/25 12:49 CST | 5 comments
Opportunity is still exploring an outcrop high up on Murray Ridge as the winter solstice on Mars approaches. At this location the tilts are good, so Opportunity is getting excellent solar input on its solar panels.
Field Report From Mars: Sol 3556 – January 24, 2014
Posted by Larry Crumpler on 2014/02/25 12:18 CST
Today is the tenth anniversary of Opportunity's landing on Mars. Here at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, we just opened a tenth anniversary exhibit.
Field Report From Mars: Sol 3519 - December 18, 2013
Posted by Larry Crumpler on 2014/02/25 11:55 CST
Opportunity arrived at the location that has been the target of all this climbing since late last (Earth) summer. We will settle in for some detailed work on the outcrop here since this appears to be something different from the impact breccias that we have been seeing along the ridge crest.
A Spin Through the Inner Solar System
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/02/24 09:57 CST | 1 comment
Animated maps of the planets show the spheres in motion.
Sand Waves in the Desert
or “Pet Peeves and Deciphering Climate Change in the Solar System”
Posted by Lori Fenton on 2014/02/21 03:19 CST | 1 comment
I have a pet peeve: the words dune and ripple are often used interchangeably, although they are quite distinct from one another. So what’s the difference between aeolian dunes and ripples? And why should anybody care?
Mission to a Metallic World: A Discovery Proposal to Fly to the Asteroid Psyche
Posted by Van Kane on 2014/02/19 07:45 CST | 1 comment
Imagine flying deep within the asteroid belt to study the most unreachable location in the solar system: the deep core of a terrestrial world.
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/02/17 02:45 CST | 2 comments
Upcoming deep space missions will venture right to the heart of the Solar System.
Posted by Daniel Macháček on 2014/02/13 10:03 CST | 7 comments
Cassini flew past Phoebe on June 11, 2004, on its way to entering Saturn orbit. The flyby was almost perfect but overexposure of some images have prevented color mosaics from being produced. Even though Phoebe's body is gray and dull in color, the absence of color images always provoked me. By using VIMS data, I have now produced color mosaics.
Posted by Craig Hardgrove on 2014/02/12 04:19 CST | 3 comments
Planetary scientist Craig Hardgrove takes a look at what NASA really does for humanity.
Behind-the-scenes story of Yutu: Promoting space exploration in China
Posted by Quanzhi Ye on 2014/02/11 12:24 CST
Promoting the story of Yutu to the Chinese public through social media: a successful case of science outreach.
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/02/10 08:04 CST | 1 comment
Exploring a set of newly named hills on Mars reveals tantalizing clues to the planet's story.
Posted by Van Kane on 2014/02/08 08:36 CST | 5 comments
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, the Discovery program is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. The creativity of the scientific community has given us a wide assortment of missions in the past and is likely to surprise and delight us again.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Finds Mystery Rock, Mission Celebrates 10 Years
Sols 3534 - 3563
Posted by A.J.S. Rayl on 2014/02/07 01:22 CST
In the storied history of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) mission, January 2014 will likely be remembered as one of the most memorable months of all.
Curiosity update, sols 521-533: Assessing Dingo Gap
Posted by Ken Herkenhoff on 2014/02/04 05:08 CST | 3 comments
While continuing to perform regular wheel health assessments, Curiosity took a sharp right turn and headed for Dingo Gap. On sol 533, they performed a "toe dip" that parked the rover atop the dune with a good view down into the valley.
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/02/03 10:49 CST | 5 comments
Portraits of a planet.
Posted by Marc Rayman on 2014/02/01 10:58 CST | 4 comments
The majority of Dawn's time in the Ceres approach phase will be devoted to continuing ion-powered flight. Let’s take another look at how this remarkable technology is used to deliver the adventurer to the desired orbit around Ceres.
A new comet observing campaign for C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)
You thought you were rid of us...but we're baa-aaack!
Posted by Karl Battams on 2014/01/27 11:22 CST
You thought you were rid of us...but we're back! Following the spectacular and, quite frankly unprecedented, success of the Comet ISON Observing Campaign, we are launching a similar venture for another unique cometary encounter that's happening this year. In October 2014, comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) will pass extremely close to Mars.
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/01/27 01:23 CST | 3 comments
Striking terrain discovered by the MESSENGER probe.
New Horizons: Updates From the January 2014 Science Team Meeting, Part 2
Posted by Ted Stryk on 2014/01/24 01:16 CST | 3 comments
Ted Stryk reports on the status of the New Horizons mission from the mission's latest Science Team Meeting. Updates include the status of the Kuiper Belt target search and the use of ALMA to refine Pluto's ephemeris.
New Horizons: Updates From the Science Team Meeting, Part 1
Posted by Ted Stryk on 2014/01/23 06:15 CST | 1 comment
Ted Stryk reports on the status of the New Horizons mission from the mission's latest Science Team Meeting.
Russia's Ambitious Planetary Exploration Goals
Posted by Van Kane on 2014/01/22 11:58 CST | 5 comments
Roscosmos has ambitious planetary exploration plans in the coming decades, including a series of solo lunar missions and joint missions to Mars with the European Space Agency.
Curiosity update, sols 488-520: Steady driving while watching the wheels
Posted by Ken Herkenhoff on 2014/01/22 03:38 CST | 1 comment
In the last month, Curiosity put 222 meters on the odometer in 12 short drives, while regularly assessing the wheels for damage. The rover performed touch-and-go analyses of rocks including Oneida and Kodak, and also took some ChemCam RMI mosaics of rocks near the base of Mount Sharp.
Rosetta update from mission control
Posted by Daniel Scuka on 2014/01/21 01:37 CST | 3 comments
We spoke with (a slightly tired but hugely happy) Rosetta Spacecraft Operations Manager Andrea Accomazzo earlier this afternoon and he reports the spacecraft is doing fine!
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2014/01/20 12:03 CST | 3 comments
The latest postcards from Mars Express feature cloudy skies.
Dry Ice Snowfall at the Poles of Mars
Posted by Paul Hayne on 2014/01/16 11:23 CST | 1 comment
Paul Hayne takes a look at the mysterious polar caps of Mars, and what it would be like to ski there.
Do you want to learn more about the Universe?
Posted by Matthew Francis on 2014/01/15 12:08 CST
CosmoAcademy — a project from the CosmoQuest educational and citizen-science group — is offering three new online classes: Introduction to Dark Matter, Introduction to Astronomy via Color Imaging, and Life Beyond Earth: Introduction to Astrobiology.
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