Articles

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

Is life possible on rogue planets and moons?

Our exploration of the solar system combined with two decades of exoplanet research tells us there are several possibilities for life to exist on starless planets and their moons.

New year, same universe

While missions are achieving new things, the cosmos reminds us that some things are universal.

Space is always worth the wait

With space missions like JWST and Voyager, decades of development yield decades of discovery.

Who loves the Sun?

Our host star takes center stage, and JWST demands a little more patience.

Do look up!

A comet, an eclipse, a meteor shower, and planets... all are amazing reasons to look up at the night skies.

Let’s not forget the other Mars explorers

This week we take a look at some of the amazing Mars exploration being conducted, and celebrate the highlights of space in 2021.

Optimism, ethics and pride

The values that have driven space exploration since its beginnings are still going strong today.

Craters are great but we’ve had enough, thank you

Take a look at some of Earth’s epic impact craters, and learn what we’re doing to ensure they’re our last.

DART mission resources for space fans and the press

Exclusive Planetary Society materials to help space fans tell the world about NASA's upcoming mission to impact an asteroid.

Mind-blowing space volcanoes

Taking a look at volcanic worlds in our solar system and exoplanets that might crack under pressure.

The Space Advocate Newsletter, November 2021

A new era for planetary defense.

Looking forward to looking into deep space

The newest issue of The Planetary Report takes a look at the James Webb Space Telescope and what it will teach us about the cosmos.

The Fermi paradox and Drake equation: Where are all the aliens?

Theoretical work in SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is dominated by two key concepts: the Fermi paradox and the Drake equation.

SpaceX Inspiration4 mission: Your questions, answered

SpaceX is preparing to launch the first-ever entirely civilian mission — Inspiration4 — into Earth orbit.

What are the most Earth-like worlds we’ve found?

The ongoing hunt for Earth-like worlds, especially over the next few decades, hopes to illuminate how ordinary and extraordinary our planet may be.

Why we need plutonium power for space missions

Spacecraft need power to reach the dark, dusty, distant locales of our solar system. Safe, non-weapons-grade plutonium-238 provides that power when solar energy can't cut it.