Articles

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

Spotting Rovers From Above and Asteroids From Afar

China’s Zhurong Mars rover snaps a selfie and gets a bird’s-eye-view pic from above, and asteroid hunters of all kinds look out for dangerous rocks.

Eclipses: It’s All About Perspective

Look at eclipses from the perspective of Earth, the Moon, and beyond. Plus catch up on the week’s space news.

Solar Plasma and Europan Magma

From solar storms to underwater volcanoes and asteroid close calls, catch up on what’s scary and beautiful this week in space.

A galaxy that spins in more ways than one

Listen to the sounds of the Whirlpool Galaxy and look back at our earliest picture of it.

Martian Ingenuity and Venusian imagination

Get a peek at the Martian moon and catch up on what the newest Mars explorer has been up to.

A cosmic bowling ball spinning through space

Jupiter is a world of extremes, and Venus hints at some mysteries. You can take action to help learn more about these worlds and others.

Making our mark on other worlds

Perseverance’s tracks show where it’s been. You can help decide where we’re going.

Cosmic streaks, smudges, and fuzz

See images of the cosmos that reflect fascinating features of worlds and stars, and take action to advance exploration.

So long, 2020, and thanks for all the space

Look back on the year’s accomplishments and enjoy the beauty of the cosmos.

NASA Abruptly Delays a Critical Planetary Defense Mission

A space telescope that would find thousands of potential "city-killer" size asteroids was abruptly delayed due to unspecified and unrelated funding issues within NASA's science division.

Mars approaches Earth, and Earthlings dream of going to Mars

Looking back into space and time, and looking forward to mission milestones and new endeavors. All this and more in your weekly space digest.

NASA to Build New Asteroid-Hunting Space Telescope

The yet-to-be-named telescope would launch as soon as 2024, as part of NASA's new, multi-pronged approach to planetary defense.

Shoemaker-Levy 9 Fragment D and G Impact Scars on Jupiter

What the Shoemaker-Levy 9 Impact Taught Us

Twenty-five years ago, multiple fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter, changing the face of the planet and the course of planetary science.

Pretty Pictures of the Cosmos: Lesser-Known Luminaries

Award-winning astrophotographer Adam Block shares some of his latest images highlighting some hidden gems.

Where We Are on 1 April 2019

Emily Lakdawalla takes us on a tour of the spacecraft currently exploring from within our solar system. All planets and spacecraft locations are shown at their location for April 1st, 2019.

This Thanksgiving, avoid the politics and talk space instead

If you're expecting to gather with extended family on Thanksgiving, avoid the politics. Here are some conversation starters to use at the dinner table that everyone can engage in.