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Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
LPSC 2013: Do we have a meteorite from Mercury?
Before yesterday, my answer to this question would be
LPSC 2013: Sedimentary stratigraphy with Curiosity and Opportunity
A mind-boggling quantity of information is being presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. In my first report from the meeting, I try to make sense of the Curiosity and Opportunity sessions.
Messages of Wonder
Some lovely, rarely-seen images from the MESSENGER mission.
Reports from the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
I depart tomorrow for Houston and the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC). Here's a look at how to follow the meeting on social media, and where to find me if you're also attending.
The March Equinox 2013 issue of The Planetary Report is out!
I’m happy to tell you that the March Equinox 2013 issue of The Planetary Report is hot off the presses and will begin mailing next week.
Sequestration Claims its First Victim at NASA
The first major effects of Sequestration were felt at NASA yesterday, with new rules severely restricting travel and scientific conference attendance by NASA scientists and contractors.
Planetary Society Weekly Hangout: Being WISE about asteroids, comets, and brown dwarfs with Amy Mainzer
This week I'll be talking with NEOWISE principal investigator Amy Mainzer about moving objects that the WISE mission has spotted both inside and outside our solar system.
Comet PANSTARRS from the other side of the Sun!
Comet PANSTARRS is delighting northern hemisphere viewers right now. But it's also big, bright, and beautiful to the STEREO spacecraft.
Checking in on Jupiter
We don't have any spacecraft at Jupiter right now, which is a pity. Until we do, we have to rely upon Earth-based astronomers to monitor the changing face of the largest planet.
Yes, it was once a Martian lake: Curiosity has been sent to the right place
The news from the Curiosity mission today is this: Curiosity has found, at the site called John Klein, a rock that contains evidence for a past environment that would have been suitable for Earth-like microorganisms.
The First Taste of Mars
Nearly four decades before Curiosity, we dug into Mars for the first time. The pictures are still amazing.
Atacama Diary for March 10, 2013--Pisco Sours and Liquid Helium
Great dinner and great conversation with staff of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, topped by Chile's national drink.
Atacama Diary for March 8, 2013-Noon at LAX
Another audio blog post, with excerpts from the National Science Foundation briefing on the ALMA Observatory, edited while I was waiting for my planet to Chile at LAX.
Rep. Adam Schiff Responds to Questions on Planetary Science Funding
Rep. Adam Schiff's response to the state of Planetary Science funding from his recent online town hall.
A post about International Women's Day
Today, March 8, is International Women's Day, about which I have conflicting feelings.
Instruments for the JUICE Jovian Mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced the list of instruments selected for its JUICE mission to explore the Jovian system for three years starting in the 2030 following a 2022 launch.
Meteor showers on Titan: an example of why Twitter is awesome for scientists and the public
I use a variety of social networking tools to perform my job, but there's one that's more important and valuable to me than all the rest combined: Twitter. Yesterday afternoon there was a discussion on Twitter that exemplifies its value and fun: are there visible meteors on Titan?
Sea Salt
Ever wonder what it would taste like if you could lick the icy surface of Jupiter’s Europa? The answer may be that it would taste a lot like that last mouthful of water that you accidentally drank when you were swimming at the beach on your last vacation.
VIDEO: Watch Jim Bell's Public Lecture at Caltech
The Planetary Society President wows his audience with this presentation that is chock full of beautiful space images.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Begins Wrapping Science on Matijevic Hill
As February turned to March, Opportunity was conducting some of its final science investigations on Matijevic Hill, the MER team was making preparations for the robot field geologist's trek south for the next winter, and the Mars Exploration Rovers mission was checking off another month of exploration.



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