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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Dawn Journal: Third Anniversary in Space, and How to Map Vesta
On the third anniversary of traveling through the solar system on its own since dispatching Dawn on a separate journey, Earth continues to orbit the sun in much the same way it has been.
Fourth MSL Landing Site Workshop: A review
Today, tomorrow, and Wednesday, about 200 scientists and engineers will sit in an over-air-conditioned room in Monrovia, California to participate in what is officially titled the
Voyager Mission Status Bulletins: Jupiter and Saturn
Last week I posted a stack of Voyager Mission Status Bulletins, which were once the main resource for space enthusiasts to follow the dramatic events and photos of an in-flight space mission.
Review: Recess Monkey: The Final Funktier
The Final Funktier is a kids' music album that is (a) delightful for grownups too and (b) features largely space-themed tracks. Win!
The 4th MSL Landing Site Workshop
Well folks, I'm off to Pasadena to help the Mars community decide where to send its next rover.
Venus: Not so neat and tidy as we thought
Pioneer Venus discovered a stable
Opportunity rolls up to Oileán Ruaidh
Opportunity is continuing to make tracks toward Endeavour crater, but just because she's got a goal for her road trip doesn't mean she won't stop and smell the flowers from time to time. Er, did I say
Deep Impact approaching Hartley 2
The Deep Impact spacecraft team has released a third image from their approach to comet Hartley 2, and for me, three images is an invitation to make an animation!
Pretty picture: Europa and Jupiter
Photos like this always make me think about how unimportant size is in determining whether one of the worlds of the solar system is an exciting place.
Seeing Curiosity
I've been itching to get back to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to get a good look at Curiosity, the next Mars rover.
It's International Observe the Moon Night
Hey everybody, go out and look up at the Moon! It's International Observe the Moon night.
An unusual Hubble photo of Mars
Amateur image magician Ted Stryk dug up this lovely view of Mars, captured on May 9, 2003 by the Hubble Space Telescope. This photo is unusual for its relatively high phase.
Beyond Earth T-shirt features 23 space missions
Let other geeks have their T-shirts with fictional space explorers -- now you can emblazon your chest with 23 space missions that have really explored space!
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter press briefing: silicic volcanoes on the Moon
I'm listening to a press briefing from several members of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter science team, regarding three papers published today in Science.
Update from the Ozma@50 Workshop
Frank Drake used the 85' radio telescope at Green Bank to conduct the first modern Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence in 1960. Using a very simple receiver and no computers, he listened to each of two sunlike stars for 100 seconds. Call that unit 1 Ozma.
Gale Crater Geomorphology Paper - Published!
Big news folks! The huge paper that I've been working on for the last couple years is finally, unbelievably, published!
Opportunity's rocky road ahead, good news for an aging rover
What a difference a couple of months of driving make. Here's the sort of view of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's road ahead that I'm accustomed to, taken two months ago.
Mars As Art
Attention Mars data trawlers! NASA Headquarters is looking for community input on an exhibition and book of
The Voyager Mission Updates
We take for granted now the ability to get detailed mission updates in a timely fashion via the Web. But How did people get their mission status before the Web?
Carnival of Space #169
The 169th Carnival of Space is live over at Next Big Future. Check it out!