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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Five asteroid deflection techniques to save the Earth
Kinetic impactor or nuclear blast? Here are some ways to defend our planet from a dangerous asteroid.
Hard-working spacecraft and even harder-working microbes
The Soyuz spacecraft have been helping humans get to and from space for decades, but that’s nothing compared to the billions of years that microorganisms have been making life on Earth possible.
Meet the Solar System's five official dwarf planets
The International Astronomical Union currently recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Asteroids worth getting psyched about
New discoveries from Ryugu, material heading our way from Bennu, and anticipation for a mission to Psyche.
Volcanic Venus, myriad moons, and space sonification
Learn all about the possible volcanic activity found on Venus, the facts about a hyped-up near-Earth asteroid, Jupiter’s newest moons, and what space images sound like.
Spectacularly crepuscular!
Curiosity captures crepuscular rays on Mars, a new member community launches, and solar sailing takes exploration into the future.
Never let a rock sneak up on you
Finding asteroids before they hit Earth not only protects us from harm, it can also yield beautiful photos.
What does a bear have in common with a megatsunami?
An old image of Mars drives scientific questions today, moons and mini asteroids fuel fascination, and an unexpected ursine figure shows itself.
Tianwen-2: China’s Near-Earth asteroid and comet double-header
China is gearing up for an ambitious combined mission to collect samples from a near-Earth asteroid, deliver the material to Earth, and then head off back into deep space to study a comet.
Worthy goals for a lifelong love of space
Our new list of Space Life Goals will help inspire your passion for space. Catch up on this week’s space news, and tick off a few goals while you’re at it.
The year in pictures: 2022
With JWST up and running, it’s one of our best Year in Pictures issues yet.
Your guide to rings of the Solar System
Tour the rings of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, plus asteroids, a dwarf planet, and an exoplanet.
Much has passed in decades past
With anniversaries come reflections, and there’s a lot to look back on in the history of space.
A year in review and a reddish hue
Get ready for a total lunar eclipse and pick your favorites from this year in space.
Best space pictures of the month: October 2022
Stunning views of Europa and the Eagle Nebula headline our roundup of space images released last month.
Creepy Cosmos! Scary space! Petrifying planets!
An especially spooky Halloween edition of The Downlink.
New wonders to behold
New stars are being born, new missions are being conceived, and new discoveries are being made all the time.
Good omens
The future is looking brighter thanks to a proven asteroid deflection technique and an array of visionary ideas for space exploration innovation.
See DART’s final images before it smashed into an asteroid
NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft intentionally crashed into Dimorphos, the moon of an asteroid named Didymos.
DART impact: What to expect
Get ready for NASA's demonstration of a planetary defense technique that could deflect a future asteroid on course to hit Earth.