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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Door 10 in the 2010 advent calendar
Time to open the tenth door in the advent calendar. Where in the solar system is this jumble of bouldery fissures?
Come back, Venus.....
This image is so, so beautiful, and so, so sad.
Door 9 in the 2010 advent calendar
Time to open the ninth door in the advent calendar. Where in the solar system is this jumble of boulders and fissures?
Enjoy a year in space
Every year, The Planetary Society and Starry Messenger Press collaborate on a
Akatsuki update, two days later
I've got two more pieces of information to share on Akatsuki further to what I posted yesterday. The first one is a worrying detail about what went wrong during orbit insertion.
Door 8 in the 2010 advent calendar
Time to open the eighth door in the advent calendar. Where in the solar system is this nearly flat plain?
Akatsuki update, a day after the failure to enter orbit
JAXA held two press briefings about Akatsuki yesterday. Reports in both English and Japanese based on these press briefings have cleared up some, but not all, of the mystery about what happened and what is to happen with Akatsuki.
Book reviews: Killing Pluto; Stars Above; Jars to Stars
I meant to get these posted weeks ago, along with my reviews of kids' space books, but better late than never!
Door 7 in the 2010 advent calendar
Time to open the seventh door in the advent calendar. Where in the solar system is this icy bridge?
Dawn Journal: Attitude Adjustment
Dawn is maintaining its smooth and steady course through the solar system as it gradually closes in on Vesta.
Akatsuki update: safe mode, still talking to Earth, but slowly
A press release (PDF) was posted in Japanese on the Akatsuki website this morning with some official information on the mission status. Here is a translation of the text.
Akatsuki has failed to enter Venus orbit
There is a press briefing happening right now in Japan, and it's terrible news: Akatsuki failed to enter Venus orbit.
Something has not gone right with Akatsuki, but they have communications
I was unable to follow Akatsuki's entry into Venus orbit in real time due to family obligations. Checking in now, about four hours after it was to have entered orbit, it seems that something did not go correctly, but not much information is available.
Door 6 in the 2010 advent calendar
Time to open the sixth door in the advent calendar. Where in the solar system are these snowy slopes?
Akatsuki enters orbit at Venus today!
In just a few hours, Venus will have a second orbiter. Japan's Akatsuki is due to start firing its orbit insertion engines on December 7.
Door 5 in the 2010 advent calendar
Time to open the fifth door in the advent calendar. Where in the solar system is this meandering river?
Door 4 in the 2010 advent calendar
Time to open the fourth door in the advent calendar. Where in the solar system is this crater-specked mound?
Door 3 in the 2010 advent calendar
Time to open the third door in the advent calendar. Until the New Year, I'll be opening a door onto a different landscape from somewhere in the solar system. Where in the solar system is this wispy terrain?
Best "Arsenic and Odd Life" coverage
Last night I asked via Twitter for recommendations for articles that did the best job explaining the significance of the work, by people who actually read the relevant paper in Science.