Articles

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

Want to experience the 2024 total solar eclipse? Here are some tips.

We asked two eclipse chasers for tips on how to plan your big moment in the Moon's shadow.

A guide to eclipse vocabulary

A list of useful words and terms relating to lunar and solar eclipses.

A checklist for what to expect during the 2024 total solar eclipse

Know what to expect ahead of time, and be prepared to experience a cosmic spectacle like nothing else in nature.

Cometary sights and sounds

Discover what causes a comet’s color and what it might be like to listen to one whiz by.

Are your solar eclipse glasses safe?

A guide to how to make sure your solar eclipse glasses are safe and certified, plus tips on what to do — and what not to do — if you want to experience an eclipse without glasses.

How to see newly discovered Comet Nishimura

Comet Nishimura was discovered in August 2023, and is passing close to Earth and the Sun in September. Learn more about it and how to find it.

Approaching the replica sample return capsule

OSIRIS-REx sample return: What to expect

The spacecraft will drop off its precious samples of asteroid Bennu on Sept. 24, 2023.

See for yourself

See the month’s coolest space pictures, see planets in the night sky, and create the future in space that you want to see.

The Influence of the Moon on Women’s Minds

Moonstruck

Exploring humanity’s long relationship with the Moon.

A lunar saga

How the origins of the Moon could shape the future of human space exploration.

What would happen if an asteroid hit the Moon?

If a large asteroid impacted the Moon, would it cause problems for us here on Earth?

Total solar eclipse 2024: Why it’s worth getting into the path of totality

There's no comparison between a partial solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse.

Storms and showers

Mars has storms of dust, while Saturn pours down ammonia rain. Here on Earth, we passed through a debris tail to get a special kind of shower.

Hasta la vista, baby

Terminators abound this week in space, and we’ll be back to Mars if NASA gets the budget it needs.

Artist's rendition of an exoplanet with a terminator zone

Are exoplanet 'terminator zones' a lead in the search for life?

Exoplanets with terminator zones are unusual worlds that may challenge our traditional understanding of habitability.

Life on Venus: Your Questions Answered

Is there life on Venus? Was our planetary neighbor ever inhabited? Here are the answers to your most pressing questions about the possibility of alien life on Venus.