The Planetary Society Live

Live at the Mt. Wilson Observatory: A Member Community Event It was a beautiful, clear night when we brought our cameras inside the rotating dome of the 60-inch telescope that was once the largest in the world. Join host Mat Kaplan as he welcomes Star Trek's Tim Russ, a talented amateur astronomer, for a conversation under the stars. Astronomer Geo Somoza gives us a tour of the observatory and reveals Saturn! There were more nice surprises on this cosmic evening.

The Planetary Society Book Club Welcomes Chief Scientist Bruce Betts Mat Kaplan welcomed old friend and colleague Bruce Betts for this live, member community conversation about The Planetary Society's new book series for kids, "Explore the Cosmos." You'll also hear about the exciting projects Bruce leads for the Society.

Live From the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Stage! Join Sarah Al-Ahmed and Mat Kaplan for this live Planetary Society member community event that explored one of NASA's coolest programs. You'll hear how NIAC fellowships can be applied for by anyone, and then meet three of the outstanding fellows for descriptions of their amazing projects.

Q&A with MUSIC OF SPACE author Chris Carberry Star Wars and Star Trek fans, rejoice! The author of THE MUSIC OF SPACE, our August 2024 book club selection, joined Mat Kaplan for a live conversation that traced the history of music in movies and television shows about the final frontier. The book also celebrates the real music of space performed by astronauts and carried to the stars by the Voyager spacecraft.

Planetary Scientist Rosaly Lopes on Planetary People Solar system explorer Rosaly Lopes of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab joined Mat Kaplan for a live conversation about her decades of discoveries, including 71 volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io. Rosaly also shares the story of how she went from being a young girl growing up in Rio de Janeiro with dreams of becoming an astronaut to serving as Deputy Director for Planetary Science at JPL.

Talking with author Chris Cokinos about STILL AS BRIGHT in The Planetary Society Book Club Christopher Cokinos' monumental Still as Bright: An Illuminating History of the Moon from Antiquity to Tomorrow was the July 2024 selection in the Society's online member community book club. Mat Kaplan welcomed Chris for this enthralling and informative conversation about our closest companion in the sky that has been part of human experience and culture from the beginning. Planetary Society members watched and participated in the live event.

Q&A with "The Asteroid Hunter" author Dante Lauretta Mat Kaplan and Dante Lauretta discuss Dante's book The Asteroid Hunter in this Book Club Q&A.

Planetary People Q&A with Ambre Trujillo Mat Kaplan interviews Ambre Trujillo and delves into her journey from growing up in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, through her non-traditional education, to her role at The Planetary Society.

Q&A with "The New World on Mars" author Robert Zubrin Mat Kaplan and Robert Zubrin discuss Robert's book The New World on Mars in this Book Club Q&A.

Planetary People Live Q&A with Garry Hunt Mat Kaplan interviews Professor Garry Hunt, a former NASA scientist who worked on the Viking mission to Mars, Voyager's Grand Tour of the outer planets and beyond, and was a co-host on BBC's The Sky at Night for over 20 years.

Q&A with "The Possibility of Life" author Jaime Green Mat Kaplan and science journalist Jaime Green discuss Jaime's book The Possibility of Life in this Book Club Q&A.

Beyond the Horizon: Every Member Campaign LIVE Stream Mat Kaplan hosts CEO Bill Nye, COO Jenn Vaughn, and very special guest and member Taner Halicioglu to discuss final phase of the Beyond the Horizon: Every Member Campaign and why this campaign is critical to our future as the world's leading citizen space advocacy organization.

Eclipse-O-Rama 2024 event livestream recording Watch the official Everyday Astronaut livestream recording of The Planetary Society's Eclipse-O-Rama 2024 member viewing event, which took place in honor of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Q&A with "Space Shuttle Stories" author Tom Jones Mat Kaplan and NASA shuttle astronaut Tom Jones discuss Tom's book Space Shuttle Stories in this Book Club Q&A.

The Best Science-y Science Fiction with Andrew Fraknoi Let's talk about the books that put the science in science fiction! Mat Kaplan and Andrew Fraknoi, an esteemed astronomer, educator, science communicator, and author discuss a curated selection of both new and classic science fiction tales that adhere to science.

NASA fiscal year 2025 budget Q&A Watch the Q&A session with our Chief of Space Policy, Casey Dreier, and Director of Government Relations, Jack Kiraly, on how the funding plans will affect our space programs. Hosted by Mat Kaplan.

Q&A with "Moon Rush" author Leonard David Mat Kaplan and Leonard David discuss Leonard's book "Moon Rush" in this Book Club Q&A.

In the Shadow of the Moon - A Planetary Society Guide to the April 8 Total Solar Eclipse Your Society is ready to help you get the most out of this rare and thrilling celestial event! Hear about our plans and the outstanding resources we’ve already put in place for the upcoming total solar eclipse. From the best eclipse map anywhere to our Eclipse-O-Rama celebration in Texas, we’ve got you covered when the Moon covers the Sun. Chief scientist Bruce Betts will be on hand to tell us how to safely enjoy this magnificent show in the sky.

Q&A with "The Six" author Loren Grush Mat Kaplan and Loren Grush discuss Loren's new book "The Six" in this Book Club Q&A.

Q&A with "A City on Mars" author Zach Weinersmith Mat Kaplan and Zach Weinersmith discuss "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" in this Book Club Q&A.

2023 Impact Report webinar Planetary Society members power our mission, and thanks to you, our work has been very effective in 2023, increasing discoveries in our Solar System and beyond, elevating the search for other life, and decreasing the risk of Earth being hit by an asteroid. Hear the highlights of all we have accomplished together, as well as where we're headed next!

SpaceX Starship launch November 2023 A livestream accompanying the Nov. 18, 2023, test launch of SpaceX's Starship, from Planetary Society partner Everyday Astronaut.

Q&A with "We Are Not Alone" author Marc Hartzman Mat Kaplan and writer/historian Marc Hartzman discuss Marc's book We Are Not Alone in this Book Club Q&A.

Q&A with "Life on Other Planets" author Aomawa Shields Mat Kaplan and astronomer/astrobiologist/classically trained actress Aomawa Shields discuss her newest book "Life on Other Planets" in this Book Club Q&A.