Lost and found

JWST has found methane and carbon dioxide in an exoplanet atmosphere. K2-18 b is an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth that lies about 120 light-years away, orbiting in its star’s habitable zone where surface liquid water could be possible. JWST’s new insights add to recent studies suggesting that K2-18 b could be a promising environment to search for evidence for life. Pictured: An artist’s impression of K2-18 b. Image credit: NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI).

Japan has launched a lunar lander. The SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) spacecraft took off last week and will attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface in a few months, potentially making Japan the fifth country to land on the Moon. The launch also carried the XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) space telescope, a collaboration between JAXA, NASA, and the European Space Agency.

Psyche is set for an October launch. The mission to the asteroid of the same name faced setbacks last year when it missed its launch window due to institutional issues at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory where it was being built. Psyche is back on track now, and is scheduled to launch sometime between Oct. 5 and Oct. 25.

Voyager 2 was found, and Io lost its water. This week’s Planetary Radio unpacks two space exploration stories: how Voyager 2’s mission team reestablished contact with one of the most distant human-made objects, and how Jupiter’s early conditions may have stripped the moon Io of its water. Pictured: Dry, volcanic Io as seen by the Galileo spacecraft in 1997. Image credit: NASA/JPL/DLR.

Are you ready for the upcoming eclipses? If you live in North America you’re in for a celestial treat. In October, an annular eclipse will pass over the continent, followed by a total solar eclipse next April. In both cases, a partial eclipse will be visible from an even larger region. Make sure you’re ready by brushing up on your eclipse vocabulary, learning the do’s and don’ts of eclipse safety eyewear, and making a checklist of the astonishing phenomena you might get to witness.

Don’t let NASA lose its space exploration momentum. On Monday, Sept. 18, advocates from across the United States will be in Washington, D.C., for the Day of Action, meeting with their representatives in Congress to advocate for space. Learn how you can lend your support by taking action at home.