Articles

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

Artist's concept of near-Earth asteroids

How Your Donations are Helping Planetary Society Asteroid Hunters

Each year, we ask our Shoemaker NEO Grant winners to help us tell the world about their work. Here's what they said.

Dust accumulation on InSight's solar panels to sol 122

InSight Detects Some Very Small Marsquakes

InSight has finally detected its first Marsquakes, but so far, none have been large enough to produce good science. Still, it’s great news that the seismometer is producing sensible data.

HiRISE view of Curiosity, sol 1207 (December 29, 2015)

HiRISE Team Overcomes Imaging Glitches as Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Eyes another Decade in Orbit

Blurred images and battery issues are no longer an immediate problem.

Chang’e-4 Updates: Yutu-2 Roves into Overtime, Returns More Images

China’s Chang’e-4 lander and Yutu-2 rover are continuing to function well and have completed their fourth lunar day.

Crew Dragon Test Vehicle Suffers Mishap during Engine Testing

The extent of the accident is unclear, but a plume of orange smoke was visible from miles away.

Lunar eclipse via iPhone behind a telescope

Adapting an iPhone for Astrophotography

The sky is the limit, providing you’re willing to invest a little time for what is a surprisingly low-budget, hands-on project.

Software Command to Fix Faulty Sensor Doomed Beresheet

Six days after SpaceIL's Beresheet spacecraft crash-landed on the Moon, we now have an explanation for what went wrong.

Ganymede and Jupiter Global Voyager 2 Mosaic

Voyager Wide-Angle Views of Jupiter

Last month marked the 40th anniversary of the historic Voyager 1 encounter with Jupiter in 1979.

Beresheet images the Moon from 22 kilometers

Beresheet Comes Close before Crashing on the Moon

Mission controllers announced Beresheet had a problem with its main engine, and the spacecraft stopped transmitting shortly thereafter.

LightSail 2 artist concept with Earth behind

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Flies Again; LightSail 2 Is Next!

SpaceX also went three-for-three on booster landings, marking another milestone for its Falcon Heavy rocket.

Beresheet is about to Land on the Moon

A successful landing will make SpaceIL the first private organization, and Israel the fourth country, to soft-land on the Moon.

2007 OR10 Needs a Name!

It’s time to give 2007 OR10 a name. We’re asking for your help to pick a suitable name for the largest as-yet-unnamed solar system world to submit to the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Hearing Recap: NASA’s FY 2020 Budget Request

On March 27, 2019, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies held a hearing titled, “NASA’s FY 2020 Budget Request.”