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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
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.
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.
Farewell, Kepler
NASA's Kepler space telescope helped us find our place in the cosmos.
An update on the potential habitability of TRAPPIST-1
One year ago, Franck Marchis wrote an article about the remarkable discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 system. Here's an update.
Preview: NASA's TESS prepares for 2-year exoplanet hunting mission
The spacecraft is expected to discover 50 new Earth-sized planets and as many as 500 planets smaller than twice the size of Earth.
JWST heads once more unto the breach, dear friends
The James Webb Space Telescope will miss its target launch date and cost more money than expected, NASA announced.
An exoplanet-hunting space telescope turns and takes a photo of Earth
On December 10, Kepler—NASA’s prized exoplanet discovery telescope—will finally turn back and take a picture of the Earth.
A journey to Jupiter: Amateur astronomers create 1,000-image video of planet in motion
Peter Rosén shares an amazing animation of Jupiter made from more than 1,000 images taken by 91 amateurs from around the world.
On Cosmic Discovery and Human Significance
Jake Rosenthal takes us on a tour of the history of discovery of our place in the cosmos.
European Space Agency Announces Budgetary Commitments
ESA has committed to continuing its ExoMars programme and participation with the International Space Station, but cut funding for its Asteroid Impact Mission.
Spektr-RG sees (x-ray) light at the end of the tunnel
After many years of development, a cutting-edge Russian-German space observatory with little-known contribution from the US is finally approaching the launch pad...or so its scientists say.
Dynamics of Exoplanet Systems
At this year’s Division for Planetary Sciences/European Planetary Science Congress meeting, the Exoplanet Dynamics session was packed full of talks on tightly-packed multi-planet systems and their instabilities.
DPS/EPSC update: 2007 OR10 has a moon!
The third-largest object known beyond Neptune, 2007 OR10, has a moon. The discovery was reported in a poster by Gábor Marton, Csaba Kiss, and Thomas Mueller at the joint meeting of the European Planetary Science Congress and the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society (DPS/EPSC) on Monday.
Rapidly Rotating Regular Satellites and Tides
Pluto’s small moons have unusual rotation rates and states. Now we know a moon of another dwarf planet does as well. Is there a connection?
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