Articles

Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.

Moon Monday: Looking back at the Moon from Apollo 17

For this Moon Monday, Emily digs up a classic from the end of the Apollo program.

Moon Monday: Tethys from Voyager

To start the week, Voyager 2's best image of Tethys.

Image processing trick: How to open PDS-formatted images in Photoshop

Emily explains to amateur image processors how to open archival NASA science data directly in Photoshop without needing to use any other software tools.

Global view of Venus in ultraviolet from Akatsuki, May 17, 2016

A new look at Venus with Akatsuki

Amateur image processor Damia Bouic shares a plethora of stunning new images of Venus captured by a Japanese spacecraft.

#AGU17: JunoCam science

JunoCam may be an outreach instrument, but its superb photos of storms on Jupiter are providing plenty of data for scientists to talk about.

Comet Siding Spring at Mars (post-encounter artwork by Don Davis)

#DPS2017: Progress report on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images of comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring

Three years ago, on October 19, 2014, comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring passed within 138,000 kilometers of Mars. At the 2017 meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society, we heard a progress report on Mars orbiter imaging of the comet's nucleus.

Cassini's 'Last Dance': A final portrait at Saturn

Cassini’s Last Dance With Saturn: The Farewell Mosaic

Amateur image processor Ian Regan shares the story of processing Cassini's final images of the ringed planet.

Northern summer global view of Mars from Mars Orbiter Mission

A new year's worth of Mars Orbiter Mission data

India's Mars Orbiter Mission has now completed three years in orbit at Mars, and ISRO celebrated the anniversary by releasing the mission's second-year data to the public. Emily Lakdawalla spent a week downloading and processing data for your enjoyment.

Vera Rubin Ridge from survey stop 1, Curiosity sol 1726

Curiosity update, sols 1726-1813: Surveying Vera Rubin Ridge from below

Curiosity had a productive three months driving along the front of Vera Rubin Ridge, gathering photos and data with its arm instruments, finally driving up on to the ridge on sol 1809.

Voyager 40th Anniversary: Watching an Alien World Turn

In 1979, both Voyager missions captured thousands of photos of Jupiter as frames of movies of the giant planet spinning among its moons. In honor of the mission's 40th launch anniversary, Ian Regan has reprocessed the data to produce stunning new movies.

Voyager 40th anniversary: The transformation of the solar system

The Voyager missions transformed most of the large worlds of the solar system from points of light into places to be explored.

Saturn's small satellites at 100 meters per pixel

Saturn's small satellites, to scale

Emily shares another of her popular size comparisons of solar system bodies, taking advantage of Cassini's recent views of Saturn's tiniest moons.

Cassini's “Grand Finale” Saturn portrait (13 April 2017)

Cassini's 'Grand Finale' Portrait of Saturn

Amateur image processor Ian Regan shares a stunning mosaic of Saturn in all its ringed glory.

A journey to Jupiter: Amateur astronomers create 1,000-image video of planet in motion

Peter Rosén shares an amazing animation of Jupiter made from more than 1,000 images taken by 91 amateurs from around the world.

Saturn and Titan in the Milky Way

An unusual photo of Saturn by astrophotographer Damian Peach shows the planet and its largest moon nestled among the star-filled lane of the Milky Way.