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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Hayabusa2 prepares for holiday break as Sun passes between Earth and asteroid Ryugu
The spacecraft will spend the end of 2018 a safe distance from Ryugu, as the Sun's position makes communications with Earth spotty.
When Space Science Becomes a Political Liability
John Culberson, an 8-term Texas Republican and staunch supporter the search for life on Europa, lost his re-election bid last week. His support for Europa was attacked by opponents and could send a chilling political message about the consequences of supporting space science and exploration.
Emily Lakdawalla's Recommended Space Books for Kids, 2018
Welcome to my 10th annual list of recommended space books for kids! Fiction, nonfiction, biography; poetry, prose, and pictures; it's all here.
What to Expect When InSight Lands on Mars
If all goes well, anxious space fans on Earth will learn of a successful InSight landing on Mars on Monday, 26 November 2018, at 19:53 UTC. Here's a preview of all the landing day events.
How I created a Jupiter rotation video using Hubble data
Judy Schmidt shares the technique she used to make a beautiful new animation of Jupiter.
Here's (almost) everything you need to know about Israel's Moon lander
SpaceIL, a privately funded Israeli non-profit, will attempt to land a small spacecraft on the Moon in early 2019.
What the 2018 midterms mean for NASA and planetary science
The 2018 midterms swept away a number of NASA advocates in Congress, though looming budgetary battles may end up having more direct impacts on space than any one elected official.
The Mars Exploration Rovers Update: NASA Green-Lights Team to Continue Opportunity Recovery Plan into 2019
October came and went without a beep from Opportunity, silence that was still no surprise for some, but a little discouraging for other members of the rover team.
Farewell, Kepler
NASA's Kepler space telescope helped us find our place in the cosmos.
LightSail 2 launch pushed to early 2019
An Air Force official says an ‘initial launch capability’ is being reassessed.
In search of ice and fire: Europa analog fieldwork in Iceland, 2018
The terrain of Iceland – the Land of Ice and Fire – has some very interesting similarities to Europa.
Following perfect launch, BepiColombo takes self-portraits from space
BepiColombo's launch was nominal -- the best thing any launch can be. Following launch, the spacecraft documented successful solar array and antenna deployments with self-portraits.
Dawn Journal: 11 Years in Space
Dawn is celebrating its 11th anniversary of spaceflight. This is the last dawnniversary the spacecraft will see.
Collecting a sample from asteroid Ryugu is going to be dicey
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft was scheduled to touch down on Ryugu later this month, but that has been delayed to early 2019.
Looking at Io's Volcanoes Since Galileo
It’s been almost 17 years since NASA's Galileo spacecraft took meaningful data of Jupiter’s volcanic moon.
Heiligenschein Throughout the Solar System
When planetary scientist Brittney Cooper was scrolling through the downlinked images of Hayabusa2’s approach of asteroid Ryugu, a familiar sight caught her attention.
Imaging the Earth from Lunar orbit
Radio amateurs around the world worked together to take an image of the Earth and the far side of the Moon.
A Joyless 'First Man'
Space fans will enjoy the movie for its depictions of early spaceflight itself. But it avoids the richness and complexity of human experience, leaving behind awe and joy in favor of an emotional landscape as uninviting as the Moon.
Book Announcement and Excerpt: Astronomy for Kids
For Astronomy Day, Bruce announces his new book Astronomy for Kids, provides excerpts, and gives some bonus planet observing info.
How to follow BepiColombo's launch
I’m thrilled to be anticipating the beginning of a new mission to Mercury. Here's a timeline for BepiColombo's planned launch on 20 October (19 October in the U.S.).