Articles

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

The LightSail mission: From concept to reality

How a grassroots movement sailed on sunlight.

Connecting ancient life to other worlds

Looking to the past to guide the search for life.

What are binary asteroids?

Binary asteroid systems can be found near Earth, in the main asteroid belt, beyond Neptune, and more.

What DART has taught us so far

NASA's DART mission showed that if we detect a dangerous asteroid headed toward Earth, knocking it off course with a spacecraft is a potential option.

The search for Earthlike worlds

Our understanding of exoplanets grows as more tools to peer into space come online.

Meet the Habitable Worlds Observatory, NASA’s life-seeking telescope

The observatory will directly image Earth-size exoplanets circling other stars.

Chang’e-6 launch: What to expect

China will attempt to return the first-ever samples from the far side of the Moon.

Experiencing the total solar eclipse without sight

New technologies, projects, and resources aim to help people with blindness and low vision experience the eclipse.

How to find eclipse events in your area

There are hundreds of eclipse events being held all across North America. Here's how to find one near you.

Red Rover Goes to Mars, 20 years later

Twenty years ago, a Planetary Society program sent students to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to work on the Mars Exploration Rovers program.

Seizing upon syzygy

How scientists use total solar eclipses as opportunities to do solar science.

What to look forward to in space in 2024

A total solar eclipse and the launch of Europa Clipper are on our list of cosmic events to get excited about this year.

Uranus' biggest unsolved mysteries

Distant, icy Uranus has puzzled scientists for decades. From its sideways spin to its mysterious magnetic field, the oddball world has many secrets waiting to be revealed.

Why the true colors of the planets aren't what you think

Cameras on our space probes act as proxies for our own eyes, but what they see isn't necessarily what our eyes would see.

Earth's water may have been on our planet since its formation, or could have been brought here by impactors early in our planet's history. Here's a look at the leading theories about where Earth's water came from.