The Planetary Report®
Solar Maximum

Features

June Solstice 2025

Your place in space

Who loves the Sun?

By Bill Nye, Planetary Society CEO 

Our star is beautiful and fascinating, a celestial object worthy of great appreciation and scientific investigation. This is why we send out missions like the Parker Solar Probe to study the Sun up close. Engineers challenged the spacecraft to dive very, very close to the Sun’s surface in death-defying feats of robotic bravery. You’ll read about those in this issue. 

Right now, the Sun is at a peak in its activity cycle; its surface is especially speckled with storms. If you have a nice telescope equipped with a solar filter, you can see these for yourself. And around solar maximum, you’re more likely than ever to see the aurora dancing across Earth’s night sky. You’ll read more in this issue about how to enhance your chance of observing these magical phenomena. You’ll even get a look at the same process on other off-Earth worlds. 

Now, people who love space often love to live the nightlife — by that, I mean looking up and into the sky at night. After all, it’s only after Earth’s spin makes the Sun set that we can readily observe that we are among planets, stars, nebulas, galaxies, and a great many more celestial objects. Simply put, the nighttime is the right time to glimpse our place in space.

It’s not that we don’t love a sunny day. We do. But let’s face it: Sometimes, sunlight gets in the way — like if you’re an astronomer concerned with hunting asteroids. On the one hand, since they don’t emit any visible light of their own, reflected sunlight allows us to spot asteroids in the first place. But asteroids coming our way from the Sun’s general direction can be hidden in its blinding glare. These are the incoming objects we worry about most, as they have the potential to catch us off guard. 

With this in mind, you’ve probably heard of at least two asteroids lately: Apophis (named after an Egyptian god of chaos) and 2024 YR4 (named after the year and calendar period of its discovery). They’re both going to miss us. But if their trajectories were to shift just a little, either one of these could have been big trouble for us down here. And of course, we don’t know exactly what other as yet undetected objects might be headed our way. Our planet’s position in the Solar System gives us all the more reason to continue developing better and better asteroid-hunting capabilities. 

NASA’s NEO (near-Earth object) Surveyor is one such project — a space telescope designed to find the most challenging asteroids, including those coming from the direction of the Sun. Thanks to the support of members like you, The Planetary Society has been a strong advocate for NEO Surveyor. We’ve also provided grants to asteroid hunters around the world through our Shoemaker NEO Grant program. With your help, we’ll keep up this work for many years to come. 

We also continue to depend on the support of our members as we fight for space science as a whole. These past few months have not been easy for NASA, and it’s more important than ever to work together to ensure the future of exploration. 

Whether you love to be under the Sun or prefer the night, there’s one thing we all agree on: Without our star, we wouldn’t be here. So, as we approach solar maximum, let’s take some time to appreciate the Sun, the feats of exploration we undertake to study it, and the many beautiful phenomena that it creates. Read on!

From the chief scientist

A cosmic roundup from The Planetary Society’s chief scientist

By Bruce Betts, Planetary Society Chief Scientist

In the sky

In the evening sky, reddish Mars is in the west, getting closer to the horizon as the weeks pass. Mercury is low in the early evening west from mid-June to mid-July. Yellowish Saturn rises in the late evening in June. It rises earlier as the weeks pass so that by late September, it rises around sunset. In the predawn sky, super-bright Venus is in the east. Very bright Jupiter joins it in July, moving higher up as the weeks pass. Venus and Jupiter are very close together on Aug. 11-12, after which Jupiter will appear above Venus. Mercury is below them in mid to late August. The Perseid meteor shower, usually one of the top meteor showers of the year, peaks Aug. 11-12, with increased activity several days before and after. This year, a nearly full Moon will wash out many of the fainter meteors. A total lunar eclipse on Sept. 7 will be visible from Asia, Australia, and portions of Africa and Europe. On Sept. 21, a partial solar eclipse will be visible over southern Australia and Antarctica. 

For more night sky tips, you can always check out planetary.org/night-sky.

Random space fact

The time for light to reach Earth from the Sun is approximately the length of the Led Zeppelin song “Stairway to Heaven,” about eight minutes.

Trivia contest

Our December Solstice contest winner is Robert Skwierawski of Nottingham, U.K. Congratulations! 

The question was: Who has spent the most time in space (over multiple missions)? 

The answer: Oleg Dmitriyevich Kononenko spent 1,111 days in space over five missions. He broke the previous record during his 2024 stay on the International Space Station. 

Try to win a copy of the new book “Mars: The Red Planet with The Planetary Society” by Bruce Betts and a Planetary Radio T-shirt by answering this question: Which of the 88 standard (IAU) constellations are named after marine mammals? 

Email your answer to [email protected] or mail your answer to The Planetary Report, 60 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101. Make sure you include the answer and your name, mailing address, and email address (if you have one). By entering this contest, you are authorizing The Planetary Report to publish your name and hometown. Submissions must be received by Sept. 1, 2025. One entry per person. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing from among all the correct entries received.

Space art

"Seeing Spots"

Do you want to see your artwork here? We love to feature our members throughout this magazine. Send your original, space-related artwork to [email protected].

Advocacy

What happened in Washington: The Planetary Society’s political advocacy in the first part of 2025

By Jack Kiraly, Planetary Society Director of Government Relations

In early February, it was announced that the Trump administration was planning to abruptly lay off more than 1,000 recently promoted and early career scientists, engineers, and space professionals, all classified as “probationary employees.” Responding swiftly, The Planetary Society mobilized more than 1,000 advocates to send letters to their legislators and the White House in less than 72 hours. The layoffs didn’t occur, demonstrating the power and necessity of grassroots advocacy. 

Soon thereafter, a new challenge crested the horizon. Rumors began circulating in early March that NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) may be facing catastrophic budget cuts — potentially as much as 50% in fiscal year 2026. The Planetary Society was the first space organization to act, mobilizing advocates from across the country to send nearly 16,000 letters opposing further cuts to NASA and reaffirming public support for the scientific exploration of space. 

It was under these unprecedented circumstances that more than 100 advocates from 27 states arrived in Washington, D.C., in late March for The Planetary Society’s annual Day of Action, making this year’s event the largest in-person advocacy gathering in our organization’s history.

Advocates voiced a critical message: NASA works. Participants highlighted the agency’s profound scientific, economic, and cultural impacts, emphasizing the exceptional return on investment. Every dollar invested in NASA generates three dollars back into the U.S. economy, supporting over 300,000 jobs nationwide and enabling near-daily advancements in science and technology. 

First-time participants Mike Pereira and Su-Zette Sparks from New Mexico initially felt nervous about meeting with legislators, yet they quickly found confidence thanks to comprehensive resources provided by The Planetary Society. “The economic impact handouts for our state and district were fantastic,” they said. “It was incredibly empowering, especially in these fraught political times, to see our voices truly being heard.” 

Similarly, Ariel Gozlan from Florida reflected enthusiastically on his first advocacy experience: “The Planetary Society has always inspired me, from championing VERITAS and New Horizons to supporting Europa Clipper and Cassini. It was an honor advocating alongside this team. I’m now more convinced than ever of the importance of this work.” 

Indeed, the urgency is clear. In April, leaked documents indicated the administration was preparing a budget that included a staggering 47% budget cut to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. If enacted, this would represent an extinction-level event for the U.S. space science enterprise. 

Despite this serious threat, the Day of Action showcased amazing resilience and unity among advocates. They passionately conveyed that NASA’s mission transcends politics, embodying humanity’s shared desire for discovery and knowledge. 

This crisis is still unfolding at the time of writing. I hope you will stand with us during these challenging times when so much is on the line. If you’ve never spoken up or written to your elected officials about your enthusiasm for space exploration, now’s the time. Our aim, and my personal goal, is to make civic activism as easy as possible. 

To see the latest developments and get involved, go to planetary.org/save-nasa-science.

Society notes

Celebrating our supporters

On April 5, Planetary Society members and special guests came together at the Cosmic Shores Gala to celebrate the organization’s 45th anniversary, our achievements over the years, and the invaluable role of our members who make it all possible. 

A highlight of the event was the presentation of the C. Wallace Hooser Award for Visionary Philanthropy to Taner Halicioglu. 

To receive this award, one must have a track record of exceptional generosity in advancing space science, exploration, and education. They must also demonstrate outstanding civic responsibility and inspire others to take philanthropic leadership roles. Most importantly, they must share their time, talent, and treasure in a manner consistent with the example set by longtime Planetary Society board member Wally Hooser.

Taner Halicioglu exemplifies all of these qualities and more. Taner’s contributions to philanthropy have been nothing short of transformational. In 2017, he made a landmark $75 million gift to establish the Halicioglu Data Science Institute at UC San Diego, ensuring the advancement of data science education and research. He expanded that commitment in 2024 with a $25 million pledge to help build the Triton Center, a central hub for students, alumni, and visitors. He founded the Halicioglu Family Foundation, which supports causes ranging from COVID-19 relief to animal welfare. He also launched the Data Science Alliance, a nonprofit that uses data science and AI to drive meaningful change in communities. 

Taner’s passion for exploration extends beyond Earth. Since 2014, he has been a dedicated supporter of The Planetary Society, making nearly $5 million in early contributions to advance space science. In 2021, he became the lead donor for our Beyond the Horizon campaign, making an extraordinary $9 million gift to propel the Society’s vision forward. 

Through his generosity, leadership, and vision, Taner Halicioglu embodies the spirit of the C. Wallace Hooser Award for Visionary Philanthropy.

PlanetVac is on the Moon!

On March 2, 2025, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander touched down on the Moon. The privately developed mission, funded through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, carried several scientific instruments and experiments. It also carried PlanetVac, a sample collection technology developed by Honeybee Robotics with support from The Planetary Society.

In 2013 and 2018, Planetary Society members and supporters funded crucial tests that helped refine PlanetVac’s sample collection system and prove it was ready for real space missions. 

PlanetVac’s tests on the Moon were just the beginning. NASA has also agreed to provide a modified PlanetVac to Japan’s Martian Moons eXplorer mission (MMX). MMX will launch in 2026 to collect samples from Mars’ moon Phobos. The samples from PlanetVac and another collection instrument will return to Earth in 2031 and are expected to reveal where the moon came from and other insights about early Mars.