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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Hubble turns 20
Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope. It's hard to believe it's been going strong for so many years.
Quaoar: A rock in the Kuiper Belt
The paper I'm writing about today,
In which I dip my toes into an ocean of Hubble data
I am just drowning in data right now, and I couldn't be happier.
WISE's weekly featured image
I'm pleased to point out that the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission (WISE) has started an
Lovely album of photos from WISE
Today the Wide-field Survey Explorer (WISE) team released a small album of beautiful astrophotos.
Hubble sees both of Saturn's aurorae
Yesterday, the European wing of the Hubble PR machine released this cool image of Saturn and its aurorae, with an associated video.
WISE has found its first comet, P/2010 B2 (WISE)
Having discovered its first asteroid on January 12, Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has now officially discovered its first comet, P/2010 B2 (WISE).
New maps of Pluto show pretty amazing amounts of surface change
I just posted my writeup of today's press briefing on a new map of Pluto produced from Hubble images. The main conclusion was that Pluto has shown an astonishing amount of changes across its surface between 1994 and 2002 -- more, in fact, than any other solid surface in the solar system.
Spectacular Hubble view of the aftermath of an asteroid collision
Hubble has caught an astonishing view of something that's never before been observed, the aftermath of a collision between two asteroids in the main belt.
WISE bags its first near-Earth object, 2010 AB78
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) just took its lens cap off on December 29, and posted its
Congratulations to the WISE team on a beautiful "First Light" photo!
Congratulations are due to the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) team on their lovely
Kepler discovers its first five exoplanets
Congratulations to NASA's Kepler mission team on their announcement of the discovery of its first five exoplanets (planets around other stars).
Two cool discoveries today: icy-hot exoplanet and smallest ever Kuiper Belt object
There are two cool stories circulating today on the theme of discovering new places in the cosmos.
Congratulations to the WISE team on a successful launch!
It was worth my while to get up at 5:15 my time this morning -- I saw a flawless launch of a Delta II from Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) into orbit.
Einstein still rules
News from 7.2 billion light years away demonstrates that some things in this shifting universe are relatively reliable.
Cassini RADAR continues to gaze at Titan
The Cassini spacecraft made its 59th flyby of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, on Friday, July 24, and in the last few hours we have received images from the RADAR instrument in SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) mode.
Gravity's Bow
Timothy Reed explains how optical telescopes are tested for gravity sag, and the methods used to counteract or compensate for it.
Aloha, Io
Taking a look at Jupiter's moon, Io, from Hawaii.
Farewell to Hubble, Obama Calls, Astronauts Testify to Congress as Shuttle is Set to Land
Farewell to Hubble, Obama Calls, Astronauts Testify to Congress as Shuttle is Set to Land
An Auspicious Week for Astronomy
On Monday, if all goes well, we will launch the Space Shuttle to rejuvenate one the greatest scientific missions launched on or off the Earth: the Hubble Space Telescope.