Explore Worlds
Find Life
Defend Earth
All
All
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Hayabusa2’s flyby of asteroid Torifune
On Sunday, July 5, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Hayabusa2 probe performed a close flyby of the asteroid Torifune.
China’s Tianwen-2 mission has (probably) arrived at a quasi-moon of Earth
The probe aims to bring back a sample from the asteroid Kamo'oalewa.
What's actually new about NASA's Artemis missions?
How the technology of Artemis II builds on the past and relies on the new.
Astronomers thought JWST might find signs of life. Now they have a new plan.
An update in the search for alien life beyond the Solar System.
Calendar of space events 2026
Space missions, rocket launches, and celestial events are coming our way in 2026.
Which stars could host alien life?
Every star in the Universe creates a different environment for the worlds around it.
“We’re made of starstuff.” What does that mean?
Carl Sagan's famous quote is more than just poetic — it's true.
Our best proof of life on Mars yet? A deep dive into Cheyava Falls
A strange rock on Mars is different from anything we’ve seen before in the search for life.
A biosignature on Mars? Unpacking Perseverance's Cheyava Falls find
An interview with Joel Hurowitz of Stony Brook University, New York, one of the lead scientists involved in the discovery of possible biosignatures on Mars.
Where do 3I/ATLAS and other interstellar visitors come from?
Interstellar interlopers like 'Oumuamua and 3I/ATLAS could be our best bet at exploring other stars.
NASA: Perseverance found possible biosignatures in Martian rock
NASA’s Perseverance rover has identified a potential sign of past life on Mars — not a definitive detection, but perhaps the most compelling hint yet.
Rethinking the atoms of life
Astrobiologists aren't just looking at other worlds to search for life; they're looking back to ancient Earth and considering alternate biochemistries.
A test bed in the search for life
Updates from a Planetary Society STEP Grant-funded project.
China eyes Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus in the hunt for habitability
China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory and the Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering have proposed an orbiter and lander mission to explore Enceladus with a key focus on the moon’s potential habitability.
When space rocks get too close for comfort
Some of the best-documented encounters Earthlings have had with asteroids and meteorites.
How astronomers rank dangerous asteroids (and what that means for you)
A breakdown of the Torino scale, designed to give a quick sense of how worried you should be about an asteroid or comet.
Updates from our asteroid-hunting Shoemaker NEO Grant winners
An overview of updates from some of our previous Shoemaker NEO Grant winners.
Needles in the haystack
How advanced amateurs defend Earth from asteroids.
Capturing magic
A photographer’s guide to auroras.
The Fermi Paradox: Where are all the aliens?
The conditions for intelligent life to arise don't seem uncommon in the Cosmos. So where is everybody?