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Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Field Report From Mars: Sol 3397 - August 13, 2013
Opportunity arrived at the base of the next segment of the Endeavour crater rim and is now investigating the contact.
Asteroid Telescope First Light
Using a Shoemaker NEO Grant a new telescope is operating in Illinois to do asteroid tracking.
Book review: Europe to the Stars, by Govert Schilling and Lars Lindberg Christensen
The world's great telescopes capture stunning photographs of stars, nebulae, and other sky phenomena. In Europe to the Stars, authors Govert Schilling and Lars Lindberg Christensen share many such photos. But the real stars of this book are the great telescopes of the European Southern Observatory.
Dwarf planet, wassup?
In which the fifth graders of Kipp Heartwood Academy argue the competing sides in the is-Pluto-a-planet debate through the medium of rap.
Movie of Phobos and Deimos from Curiosity: super cool and scientifically useful
Yesterday, the Curiosity mission released the video whose potential I got so excited about a couple of weeks ago: the view, from Curiosity, of Phobos transiting Deimos in the Martian sky. In this post, Mark Lemmon answers a bunch of my questions about why they photograph Phobos and Deimos from rovers.
Pretty picture: spectacular Saturn and Titan
A lovely view of the ringed planet and its hazy moon seen from nearly behind them just a few days ago.
Comet ISON lives on! (we think...)
For several weeks now, ground-based observers have been blind to Comet ISON as our local star was sitting directly between us and the comet. I am delighted to share two pieces of good news: first, that ISON is still alive and well, and secondly that it has been recovered.
A Turn of the Kaleidoscope
New images from Mars.
Interplanetary eyes on the lookout for comet ISON
Space blogger Daniel Fischer provides a preview of the exciting interplanetary observing campaign that has recently begun to study comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) from vantage points across the solar system.
Beautiful science by Elektro-L
Six months ago, I wrote about the Russian weather satellite Elektro-L, which has more than two years of successful experience in the geostationary orbit. Then I promised that I would be here to share the materials that we collected. I think it's time to deliver on the promise.
Mysterious tides in the Martian atmosphere
Observations made by the Mars Climate Sounder, an instrument aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, have revealed new information about atmospheric tides on the Red Planet.
One Year on Mars: My Favorite Moments from Planetfest 2012
It seems like it was just yesterday that 2000 people gathered in the Pasadena Convention Center to celebrate Curiosity's landing on Mars. All of Planetfest 2012 is online for your enjoyment.
Field Report From Mars: Sol 3385 - August 2, 2013
This week Opportunity finished up a quick investigation of the strange rocky terrain out here in the plains where it is approaching the next mountain rim segment of Endeavour crater, Solander Point.
The Ancient Snows of Mars on Planetary Radio
Kat Scanlon tells Planetary Radio that Hawaii and Mars have more in common than you might think.
Determining Near Earth Asteroids’ Properties from the California Desert
Shoemaker NEO Grant winner Bob Stephens specializes in lightcurves of near Earth asteroids to determine their physical properties. Here is an update on recent progress using his 2013 Planetary Society grant. This is the first in a series of updates on Shoemaker NEO Grant winners.
Shadowland
Seasons, sunlight, and shadow at the Moon's north pole
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Celebrates Milestones, Arrives at Solander Suburb
The Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) mission Opportunity celebrated the 10th anniversary of its launch on July 7, 2003, and then went on to complete the last leg of its 2 km trek from Cape York to Solander Point. But just before the robot field geologist pulled onto the actual base of the ridge where it will spend its sixth Martian winter, Mars lured the team off the path with some of the weirdest Martian rocks the scientists have seen yet.
Curiosity is copying Cassini's tricks!
Take a look at this amazing photo, captured by Curiosity from the surface of Mars on sol 351 (August 1, 2013). It is unmistakably Phobos.
Pluto on the Eve of Exploration by New Horizons: Is there an ocean, or not?
Does Pluto have an ocean under its ice? If it doesn't now, did it ever have one? How will we know?
Jupiter and Io from Pioneer 10
This is a parting shot of Jupiter and Io, taken December 5, 1973, by the Pioneer 10 spacecraft, the first to see either world as a crescent.



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