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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Europa Clipper launches on its journey to Jupiter’s icy moon
NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft launched today aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Hera launches to study the aftermath of an asteroid deflection test
The European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft launched on Oct. 7, 2024, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It will travel to the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system to study the aftermath of the first-ever field test of an asteroid deflection technique.
The Hera launch: What to expect
The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to launch a mission to study the aftermath of DART's impact on the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos.
The Europa Clipper launch: What to expect
NASA is preparing to launch its flagship mission to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa. Launching sometime in October 2024 and arriving in 2030, the mission will explore the icy world with a subsurface ocean that scientists think could have conditions favorable to life.
New insights into asteroid properties: A STEP Grant update
A Planetary Society-funded project to understand asteroids achieved its main goals and scientific objectives this year.
Earthlings as aliens
Looking at life on Earth from another perspective.
What would happen if we nuked an asteroid?
Detonating a nuclear weapon on or near an asteroid is one of several options for defending the Earth from an impact. Here's what nuking an asteroid might actually do, and why it isn't always the best option.
How EELS could change the future of robotic exploration
The snake-like robot is being designed to autonomously navigate the challenging terrain of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, including descending into fissures in the moon’s icy crust. The skills it needs in order to explore this distant, unfamiliar world may make EELS well equipped to explore even more alien worlds, perhaps including exoplanets.
Does Jupiter protect Earth from asteroids and comets?
Jupiter has often been thought to protect the inner Solar System from asteroids and comets, but new research has shown that the giant planet may actually increase the risk of an impact.
2024 Shoemaker NEO Grant winner updates
Every two years, The Planetary Society awards a series of grants to asteroid hunters through our Shoemaker Near-Earth Object (NEO) Grant program. Here's the latest from some of our recent grant recipients.
What would it be like to stand on the surface of Titan?
If you could visit Titan, you'd be in for a very alien experience.
What are asteroids made of?
C-type, S-type, and M-type are the three most common kinds of asteroids. Here's what each type is made of.
Far from alone
How exoplanet discoveries reshape the prospect of alien life.
What is the Outer Space Treaty?
An overview of one of international space law’s foundational documents.
What is the difference between astronomy and astrology?
The words may be similar, but astronomy (a science) and astrology (a divinatory practice) are very different things.
What are planets made of?
A look at the compositions of terrestrial planets, gas giants, and ice giants in our Solar System.
The hottest and coldest places in the Solar System
The worlds of our Solar System run the gamut of temperatures. Here are some of the hottest and coldest places we know of.
Is space science worth the money?
Space science costs money. Here's why it's worth the investment.
Is Planet X/Planet Nine real?
Planet X and Planet Nine are planets that have, at one time or another, been thought to exist in our Solar System. Both were hypothesized to explain the orbital characteristics of smaller outer Solar System bodies.
Is the Moon shrinking?
The Moon is shrinking in both actual volume and its apparent size from Earth’s perspective. We explain how scientists know this, why it happens, and how it might affect Earth.