All space rocks great and small

A meteorite older than Earth flew through a roof last month. On July 27, a meteorite survived its trip through the atmosphere and smashed through the roof of a house in McDonough, Georgia, and shattered the floor just a few feet from the home’s resident. New analysis of a fragment of the meteorite (pictured) suggests that it likely formed around 4.56 billion years ago. Image credit: University of Georgia.

JWST may have found a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A. Part of the Alpha Centauri triple star system four light-years away, this is the closest Sun-like star to our Solar System. Three confirmed planets had previously been found orbiting the red dwarf Proxima Centauri, but JWST’s detection of a gas giant is the first for the brighter Alpha Centauri A.

China’s crewed lunar lander passed a key test. The "Lanyue" two-person lunar lander succeeded at a comprehensive landing and takeoff test on Aug. 6. China's first human lunar exploration mission is expected to be carried out before 2030.

The Sun may be less active than other stars because of its planets. Our Sun is about five times less magnetically active than other Sun-like stars, perhaps due to the influence of the planets. New research suggests that the combined tidal forces of the planets could “nudge” the Sun's inner magnetic drive, curbing solar activity.

Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell has died. Lovell flew on several important crewed missions, including Gemini 7 and Gemini 12. He served as Command Module Pilot for Apollo 8, the first mission to lift off on a Saturn V rocket and orbit the Moon. Most notably, he was commander of the Apollo 13 mission, helping return the crew safely to Earth after disaster struck. Lovell passed away on Aug. 7 at the age of 97.

Meet the newest class of asteroid hunters. For 28 years, The Planetary Society has been awarding Shoemaker NEO Grants to very advanced amateur astronomers from around the world to support their efforts to find, track, and characterize near-Earth asteroids. This year, we were able to award a record-breaking total of $87,562. Learn more about the winners and the work they do to defend Earth. Pictured: A group of asteroid hunters from the Società Astronomica Schiaparelli OdV in Italy with their telescope in Namibia. Image credit: Luca Buzzi.

Shoemaker NEO Grants only happen with the support of people like you. When you make a gift of any amount, you directly contribute funding to expert asteroid hunters who are advancing the search for potentially dangerous near-Earth objects. Give today to help defend our planet from impacts — plus, right now, your gift will be matched up to $25,000 thanks to a generous Society member!

The Planetary Society is hiring! Based at our headquarters in Pasadena, California, the Systems Assistant role will support the organization's day-to-day IT operations. See the job posting for more information and application instructions.

Could the future of space exploration be influenced by Star Trek? This week’s Planetary Radio brings you to the STLV Star Trek convention, where actors Robert Picardo and Tim Russ join Planetary Society staff members Ambre Trujillo and Andrew Pauly to explore how Star Trek has inspired real-world space advocacy.