When we seek, we find

An exoplanet has been found orbiting two brown dwarfs at a perpendicular angle. Researchers using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope have found the first evidence of a planet with a polar orbit around a pair of brown dwarfs (objects smaller than stars but larger than planets). Pictured: An illustration of the exoplanet’s perpendicular orbit around two brown dwarfs. Image credit: ESO / L. Calçada.

Curiosity may have found Mars’ missing carbonate. If Mars once had a thick, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere and liquid surface water, like scientists think, signs of it should show up in Martian rocks as carbonate. The amounts predicted haven’t been found, but NASA’s Curiosity rover recently found evidence of the iron carbonate mineral siderite, potentially meaning carbonate may be hiding in other minerals as well.

Astronomers have found a disintegrating exoplanet with a comet-like tail. The planet orbits a star about 140 light years away at a distance 20 times closer than Mercury’s distance from the Sun. The data from NASA’s TESS telescope suggests that the planet has a tail of debris that stretches nearly half the length of its orbit, perhaps caused by magma boiling off its surface due to its proximity to the star.

The African Space Agency is now operational in Cairo, Egypt. This new international space agency, which has been in development since 2016, coordinates and implements space activities across several African nations and ensures access to space data and services across the continent. The agency’s permanent headquarters were officially inaugurated on April 20.

NASA needs you more than ever before. The President's 2026 budget request is expected to include a staggering 47% cut to NASA's science programs. Planetary Society Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier wrote a guest essay in the New York Times this week unpacking what this would do to space science and exploration. You can help fight these cuts by sending a message to Congress and by supporting The Planetary Society in our efforts to oppose these budget cuts. Right now, every dollar you donate will have TWICE the impact thanks to a generous $75,000 matching gift challenge from a Planetary Society member. Help us meet the needs of this critical moment by making a gift now. Pictured: An artist’s concept of Earth, the Moon, and Mars sharing space. Image credit: NASA.

At the Cosmic Shores Gala, celebration, connection, and hope for the future. On April 5, The Planetary Society celebrated our 45th anniversary at the Cosmic Shores Gala. This event looked back on our history of space advocacy, and reaffirmed our commitment to defending space science. We also celebrated all those who make this work possible — from board members to major donors to the tens of thousands of members who support us around the world.

The next book club meeting is coming up. On May 1, Planetary Society book club members can join a live virtual Q&A with astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi to discuss his book, "A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars." The book traces Oluseyi's journey from an impoverished childhood and crime-filled adolescence to the top ranks of research physics. The book club is exclusive to Planetary Society members. Not yet a member? Join today.