Articles

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

China's plans for outer Solar System exploration

A Callisto impactor, a Uranus flyby, and a dedicated ice giant orbiter could be on China’s planetary exploration horizon.

How did Earth get its water?

Earth's water may have been on our planet since its formation, or could have been brought here by impactors early in our planet's history. Here's a look at the leading theories about where Earth's water came from.

Looking for long waves

Why JWST observes in the infrared.

Earthrise by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

How old is the Earth?

The Earth is thought to be about 4.54 billion years old. Learn more about how it formed, and how we know when this all happened.

The best pictures of Mars from space

Spacecraft have been taking pictures of Mars from space since 1965. Here are some of our favorites.

Lucy’s flyby of Dinkinesh: Everything you need to know

On Nov. 1, 2023, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flew past Dinkinesh, a small asteroid in the main belt, and discovered a binary pair of moonlets in orbit around the asteroid.

Why aren't there more close-up images of Uranus and Neptune?

There aren't many close-up, high-resolution images of the ice giants Uranus and Neptune. The reason comes down to distance.

Psyche mission successfully launches

The spacecraft has begun its six-year journey to the same-name metal world.

How astronomers search for life on exoplanets

Technologies for studying planets around other stars are advancing all the time. Along with those advancements come new ways to look for possible signs of life on those planets.

Psyche the spacecraft at Psyche the asteroid

The Psyche launch and its journey to a metal world: What to expect

The Psyche spacecraft is scheduled to blast off on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Oct. 13.

The boy who named Bennu is now an aspiring astronaut

The Planetary Society spoke to Mike Puzio, who won our "Name that asteroid!" contest back in 2013.

Partial solar eclipse of 23 October 2014

Why partial eclipses are worth seeing

Partial eclipses are the most common solar eclipse to see. Here's why that is, and why it's worth going out and (safely) looking up.

Warum Partielle Sonnenfinsternisse sehenswert sind

Partielle Sonnenfinsternisse sind die am häufigsten zu beobachtende Form der Sonnenfinsternis. Hier erfahren Sie, warum das so ist und warum es sich lohnt, hinauszugehen und (sicher) nach oben zu schauen.

Pourquoi les éclipses partielles méritent d’être observées

Les éclipses partielles sont les éclipses solaires les plus fréquentes. Voici pourquoi c’est le cas et pourquoi il vaut la peine de sortir et de lever les yeux au ciel (en toute sécurité).

Por qué contemplar eclipses parciales merece la pena

Los eclipses parciales son los eclipses solares más comunes. Aquí te explicamos por qué y por qué vale la pena salir a mirar al cielo (de forma segura).