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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Five asteroid deflection techniques to save the Earth
Kinetic impactor or nuclear blast? Here are some ways to defend our planet from a dangerous asteroid.
How did Earth get its oxygen?
A tiny, Sun-loving microbe has made a very big impact on our atmosphere.
SpaceX's Starship test flight succeeds despite not reaching orbit
The test flight succeeded in its goal of having the two vehicles clear the launch tower, although they exploded before reaching orbit.
Meet the Solar System's five official dwarf planets
The International Astronomical Union currently recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Juice launches on mission to explore Jupiter's icy moons
The spacecraft will explore Jupiter's moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, all three of which may harbor subsurface oceans.
Juice launch and mission preview: What to expect
Juice is ready to launch on a mission to uncover the secrets of Jupiter's icy moons.
Scientists spot possible signs of active volcanism on Venus
The findings bolster long-held suspicions that the planet, which is covered in volcanic rock, is still active today.
The secrets of Jupiter’s tiny new moons
Jupiter's 92 confirmed moons can teach us how the giant planets formed, and what conditions were like in the early Solar System.
The future of solar sailing
An exciting future for solar sailing is on the horizon.
Best space pictures of the month: January 2023
A sample depot on Mars and a stunning green comet top this month's space highlights.
What to expect from Juno's Io flybys, and why a proposed mission there would tell us more
NASA's Juno spacecraft will spend 2023 flying closer and closer to Jupiter's moon Io.
Here are some of our favorite LightSail 2 pictures
LightSail 2 captured numerous images to help the mission team monitor the sail and showcase the beauty of solar sailing.
Your guide to rings of the Solar System
Tour the rings of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, plus asteroids, a dwarf planet, and an exoplanet.
Best space pictures of the month: November 2022
NASA's chief of exploration mission planning Nujoud Merancy walks us through a picture from the Orion spacecraft.
LightSail 2 completes mission with atmospheric reentry
The three-and-a-half-year solar sailing mission showed LightSail 2 could change its orbit with sunlight alone.
Artemis I launch guide: What to expect
NASA's Space Launch System rocket is sending the Orion crew capsule to the Moon and back.
Best space pictures of the month: October 2022
Stunning views of Europa and the Eagle Nebula headline our roundup of space images released last month.
Your guide to water on Mars
Mars used to have oceans, lakes, and rivers. Where did the water go, how much is left, and how can we use it for science and exploration?
DART impact: What to expect
Get ready for NASA's demonstration of a planetary defense technique that could deflect a future asteroid on course to hit Earth.
What Cassini continues to reveal about Saturn
Saturn continues to surprise as scientists comb through 13 years of Cassini data.