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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Buzz Aldrin on Dancing with the Stars: Week 2
It's the second week of ABC's television program Dancing with the Stars, which means two things: (1) Someone will be getting the boot from the competition on Tuesday night, and (2) Our favorite rocket man had a second chance to prove to judge Bruno Tonioli that he could dance without looking like he was still wearing his moon boots.
Dawn Journal: It's Just a Phase
Our interplanetary adventurer still has a great deal of ion thrusting to complete before it can begin its orbital exploration of Vesta next year.
Downloading the "First Voyage into the PDS" class
Here's how to watch the class on how to access Voyager data through the Planetary Data System, which I conducted to a small audience this morning.
Mimas' cold region: another new mystery for Cassini to explore
This new map of Saturn's moon Mimas -- representing data captured by the CIRS thermal infrared spectrometer during Cassini's February 13, 2010 flyby -- is just baffling.
Space Imaging 3: First Voyage into the PDS
I've finally caught my breath enough to contemplate starting up my imaging classes again.
Opportunity's at the twin craters
Just a little update here to post a Navcam panorama from Opportunity showing that the rover successfully arrived yesterday at the doublet crater she's been aiming for since she left Concepcion a couple of weeks ago.
Happy, happy day: We may see the right MastCam on MSL after all
I heard some absolutely terrific news about the MSL mission yesterday.
Hayabusa update: Traverse to night-side approach successful
Hayabusa's mission team has successfully shifted the little spacecraft's approach trajectory from the day side to the night side of Earth, a critical maneuver for the survival of the sample return capsule.
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.
Carnival of Space #146
Wander on over to Simostronomy for the 146th Carnival of Space!
Opportunity at Concepción from orbit
I saw this image at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference so am happy they released it: a view of Opportunity sitting on the north rim of the little, fresh Concepción crater, taken on sol 2153 (February 13, 2010).
What planet is THIS?
Check out this watery world! It's clearly a computer simulation of something, but of what? Can you guess?
Hayabusa update: Last modifications to Earth return trajectory
An update on Hayabusa posted to the JAXA website by project manager Junichiro Kawaguchi.
Buzz Aldrin on Dancing with the Stars: Week 1
This past Monday night Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin appeared as a contestant on the ABC television program
Where neon falls like rain
As if Titan's methane rain weren't weird enough, Jupiter's now thought to have helium-neon rain.
A new view of Callisto
Here's a lovely amateur-produced color image of Jupiter's moon Callisto, or, as its artist Daniel Macháček calls it,
LROC spots Russian "monument" to International Women's Day
There was a piece of the Lunar-Reconnaissance-Orbiter-spots-the-Lunokhods story that I was intrigued by but just didn't have the time this week to investigate properly.
Akatsuki arrives at Tanegashima Space Center
The Akatsuki spacecraft (also known as PLANET-C or Venus Climate Orbiter) arrived this evening, Japanese time, at the Tanegashima Space Center.
A trio of pretty Cassini pics
It's been a little while since I posted any Cassini pictures just because they were pretty, so here's a few recent ones, produced by amateurs from the images available on the Cassini raw images website.
"He walked on the Moon. Now let's see what those feet can do on Earth."
Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin is about to add another line to his resume when he appears on the television program,