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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Vladimir Benishek and the mystique of asteroid research
The Planetary Society Shoemaker NEO Grant winner learned from his mother and grandfather, while also forging his own path.
The scientific truth is out there
The real science of aliens, the policy implications of ET, and new views of worlds beyond our own.
Are aliens real?
An exploration of whether aliens are out there, what kind of extraterrestrial life is most likely to exist, and how we're looking for it.
Would you like some salty water with your space salad?
Two new grant-winning projects, a collection of awesome space imagery, a mighty plume, and much more this week in space.
Way out there
We’re always learning more about the worlds of the outer Solar System, and even those beyond.
Five asteroid deflection techniques to save the Earth
Kinetic impactor or nuclear blast? Here are some ways to defend our planet from a dangerous asteroid.
Hard-working spacecraft and even harder-working microbes
The Soyuz spacecraft have been helping humans get to and from space for decades, but that’s nothing compared to the billions of years that microorganisms have been making life on Earth possible.
Why has SpaceX's Starship sparked an environmental controversy?
An interview with environmental policy expert Eric Roesch about what made the April 2023 Starship test launch so environmentally harmful, and why the Federal Aviation Administration may ultimately be to blame.
Moonshadow, Moonshadow
The Moon casts shadows on itself and on Earth, environmental concerns overshadow a test launch’s success, and exoplanets are awesome (beyond a shadow of a doubt).
Have a nice flight!
Flying on Titan is easy, but not as easy as flying on Deimos. Plus, Juice takes off and Ingenuity captures a view from the air.
Rocket flight and the five dwarfs
Meet the Solar System’s five official dwarf planets, celebrate two major launches, and find out why planets sometimes seem to go backwards across the sky.
What does “Mercury in retrograde” actually mean?
"Mercury in retrograde" is one of the most searched terms relating to the planet. Astrological interpretations aside, apparent retrograde motion is an interesting phenomenon that has to do with orbital speeds and observer perspective.
Want more space? Speak up!
Detailed Mars maps, insights into the Venusian surface, and views of Uranian rings all have one thing in common: they don’t happen without public support for space.
The Space Advocate Newsletter, April 2023
The changing fortunes of planetary defense.
A mission to pull back the shroud
VERITAS would peer through Venus’ clouds to study its surface like never before, but it needs your help.
Unusual Uranus! Moist Moon! Volcanic Venus!
A planet shows its pole, another shows possible volcanic activity, and the Moon keeps surprising us with more water.
Asteroids worth getting psyched about
New discoveries from Ryugu, material heading our way from Bennu, and anticipation for a mission to Psyche.
What the search for aliens can learn from life on Earth
When searching for extraterrestrial life, we have to base our hunt on what we know about life on our own planet. This may seem limiting, but there's a lot we can learn from the astonishingly diverse lifeforms we have here on Earth.
Volcanic Venus, myriad moons, and space sonification
Learn all about the possible volcanic activity found on Venus, the facts about a hyped-up near-Earth asteroid, Jupiter’s newest moons, and what space images sound like.
Spectacularly crepuscular!
Curiosity captures crepuscular rays on Mars, a new member community launches, and solar sailing takes exploration into the future.