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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
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?
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?
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?
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?
Door 2 in the 2010 advent calendar
Time to open the second 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. Can you guess where this crater-scarred surface lies?
Door 1 in the Planetary Society Blog 2010 advent calendar
December really has arrived, and that means that the year is racing to a close. Continuing last year's tradition, I'm counting the days to the New Year with an advent calendar, where each
A few Mars Express Phobos goodies
To celebrate Mars Express' recent mission extension to 2014, here are some cool pictures that it took of Mars' inner and larger moon Phobos.
Final set of Voyager Mission Status Bulletins: The Voyager 2 Neptune flyby and beyond
I'm surprised no one's emailed me demanding the last batch of Voyager mission status bulletins! Well, here they are.
Jupiter's outbreak is spreading
Jupiter, always a pretty sight in the sky, is now worth visiting every day; the
Deep Impact at Hartley 2: Two weeks after the flyby
Today the Deep Impact/EPOXI science team held a press briefing that followed up on their very successful flyby of two weeks ago, a status report on what they can say so far about the science that's coming out of the encounter.
Asteroids and comets to scale, including Hartley 2
Just in time for today's Deep Impact press briefing, which you can watch on NASA TV in a few minutes: I've updated my montage of all the asteroids and comets that have been visited and photographed to include Hartley 2.
First pictures from Chang'E 2 released
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced the success of Chang'E-2 lunar mission on Monday. Yong-Chun Zheng, an associate professor at the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, presents the mission's first released pictures.
The Disturbance is Starting
Jupiter's faded belt may be coming back.
Opportunity bags a few craters
In the last few days, Opportunity's passed by several craters, and the rover drivers took advantage of the chance encounters for what they call
WISE's first brown (green?) dwarf
Look at the center of this star-studded image and you'll find an emerald green dot.
An awesome animation of Jupiter's clouds
Ready to see something beautiful? Here's a team effort by Björn Jónsson and Ian Regan to create a really mesmerizing view of the motions of Jupiter's clouds.
Fly over Mars
Adrian Lark has posted several new flights over gorgeous Martian landscapes to his Youtube channel. My favorite of his recent ones is this dive into Zumba crater.
Hartley 2 compared to other comets, and in motion 3D
I had to catch up with tasks left undone at home today and didn't have time to write up my notes from the Hartley 2 press briefing, for which I apologize. I'll leave you for the weekend with three cool Hartley 2 pictures.