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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Juno and Marble Movie update at Apojove 1
Juno is on its second of two long orbits around Jupiter, reaching apojove (its farthest distance from the planet) today.
Some beautiful new (old) views of Neptune and Triton
Beautiful new amateur work with 27-year-old Voyager data.
Gaia's first galaxy map
The astronomy world is abuzz today because of ESA's announcement of the first release of data from the Gaia mission. Gaia is a five-year mission that will eventually measure the positions and motions of billions of stars; this first data release includes positions for 1.1 billion of them, and proper motions for 2 million.
A deep dive into the highest-resolution Voyager Jupiter data
A few weeks before the first Juno high resolution imaging, I decided to take a look at Voyager color images at various resolutions, with particular attention to high-resolution mosaics.
Cassini's camera views of Titan's polar lakes in summer, processed into pseudocolor
Titan's north polar lakes are well-lit by summer sun in these recent Cassini images. Image processing enthusiast Ian Regan shares his recipe for processing the longer-wavelength Titan images into visually pleasing
Rosetta end-of-mission update
The European Space Agency has shared plans for the end of the Rosetta mission scheduled for September 30, just three weeks from now. The landing site will be located on the
Field Report From Mars: Sol 4482 - September 2, 2016
Opportunity is about to leave Marathon Valley for good and head south into the next valley, marking the beginning of the current extended mission plan.
Philae spotted on the surface of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Ever since its landing, Philae has been elusive. It went silent just three days later and never returned any more science data, though it made brief contact with the orbiter last summer. Now, just a month until the planned end of the Rosetta mission, the orbiter has finally located the lander in a stunning high-resolution view of the surface.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Gets in the Groove, Wraps Science Marathon Valley
Opportunity got in the groove at Endeavour Crater in August finishing the last of her science assignments in Marathon Valley.
Juno's instruments return riches from first perijove
On August 27, Juno soared across Jupiter's cloud tops from pole to pole, with all instruments operating. NASA posted some terrific first results from several of the instruments today. And the JunoCam team released all 28 raw images taken during the close encounter.
Dawn Journal: Diving Low
Following the conclusion of Dawn's ambitious 8.8-year prime mission on June 30, the spacecraft has been gathering a wealth of data with all sensors in its extended mission as it orbits closer to Ceres than the International Space Station is to Earth.
Will Juno’s Instruments Observe the Moons of Jupiter?
It is not easy to observe Jupiter’s moons as more than points of light with Juno, because Juno will never get very close to any of the moons, but as its orbit shifts there will be opportunities to collect data on some of the moons.
Juno's first Jupiter close approach successful; best JunoCam images yet to come
NASA announced this afternoon that Juno passed through its first perijove since entering orbit successfully, with science instruments operating all the way. This is a huge relief, given all the unknowns about the effects of Jupiter's nasty radiation environment on its brand-new orbiter.
Proxima Centauri b: Have we just found Earth’s cousin right on our doorstep?
What began as a tantalizing rumor has just become an astonishing fact. Today a group of thirty-one scientists announced the discovery of a terrestrial exoplanet orbiting Proxima Centauri. The discovery of this planet, Proxima Centauri b, is a huge breakthrough not just for astronomers but for all of us. Here’s why.
How big is that butte?
Whenever I share images from Curiosity, among the most common questions I’m asked is “what is the scale of this image?” With help from imaging enthusiast Seán Doran, I can answer that question for some of the Murray buttes.
JunoCam "Marble Movie" data available
Since a few days after entering orbit, JunoCam has been taking photos of Jupiter every fifteen minutes, accumulating a trove of data that can be assembled into a movie of the planet.
Gullies on Mars: Wet or Dry (Ice)?
Martian gullies were in the spotlight last week thanks to a NASA press release stating they were
Juno’s other ‘cameras’
Juno’s science goals are to understand the origin and interior of Jupiter, focusing specifically on its atmosphere and magnetic field. Cameras can help answer some of these questions.
Curiosity update, sols 1373-1427: Driving up to Murray buttes, drilling at Marimba
Curiosity has now covered most of the flat ground that lay between the Naukluft plateau and the Murray buttes. The mission took only 11 days to complete drilling work at Marimba, despite a recurrence of a problematic short in the drill. The rover is ready to drive in among the buttes, shooting spectacular photos along the way.
Yutu is NOT dead (probably)
Despite what you may have read on other websites last week, China's Yutu lunar rover is probably still functional on the surface of the Moon.