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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
OSIRIS-REx returns sample from asteroid Bennu to Earth
The sample capsule parachuted to a landing at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range southwest of Salt Lake City.
Want to experience the 2024 total solar eclipse? Here are some tips.
We asked two eclipse chasers for tips on how to plan your big moment in the Moon's shadow.
A checklist for what to expect during the 2024 total solar eclipse
Know what to expect ahead of time, and be prepared to experience a cosmic spectacle like nothing else in nature.
OSIRIS-REx sample return: What to expect
The spacecraft will drop off its precious samples of asteroid Bennu on Sept. 24, 2023.
Total solar eclipse 2024: Why it’s worth getting into the path of totality
There's no comparison between a partial solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse.
Want to be a citizen astronomer and defend Earth from asteroids? Here are some tips.
We asked three Planetary Society Shoemaker NEO grant winners for tips on how to assemble your own planetary defense observatory.
Vladimir Benishek and the mystique of asteroid research
The Planetary Society Shoemaker NEO Grant winner learned from his mother and grandfather, while also forging his own path.
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.
How did Earth get its oxygen?
A tiny, Sun-loving microbe has made a very big impact on our atmosphere.
SpaceX's Starship test flight succeeds despite not reaching orbit
The test flight succeeded in its goal of having the two vehicles clear the launch tower, although they exploded before reaching orbit.
Meet the Solar System's five official dwarf planets
The International Astronomical Union currently recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Juice launches on mission to explore Jupiter's icy moons
The spacecraft will explore Jupiter's moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, all three of which may harbor subsurface oceans.
Juice launch and mission preview: What to expect
Juice is ready to launch on a mission to uncover the secrets of Jupiter's icy moons.
Scientists spot possible signs of active volcanism on Venus
The findings bolster long-held suspicions that the planet, which is covered in volcanic rock, is still active today.
The secrets of Jupiter’s tiny new moons
Jupiter's 92 confirmed moons can teach us how the giant planets formed, and what conditions were like in the early Solar System.
The future of solar sailing
An exciting future for solar sailing is on the horizon.
Best space pictures of the month: January 2023
A sample depot on Mars and a stunning green comet top this month's space highlights.
What to expect from Juno's Io flybys, and why a proposed mission there would tell us more
NASA's Juno spacecraft will spend 2023 flying closer and closer to Jupiter's moon Io.
Here are some of our favorite LightSail 2 pictures
LightSail 2 captured numerous images to help the mission team monitor the sail and showcase the beauty of solar sailing.
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.