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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Pretty picture: Halo on a halo?
An interesting set of images of Titan that Cassini took recently shows a peculiar cap at Titan's south pole.
Update on yesterday's post about Chang'E 2 going to Toutatis
I have a couple of updates on my post from yesterday: confirmation that Chang'E 2 is indeed gone from L2, and more specifics on encounter dates with Toutatis.
Yet more planet transits
A reader comment on Jay Pasachoff's post last week about Venus transits viewed from other planets had me asking whether transits of other planets were also interesting to astronomers. Jay provided some answers!
Chang'E 2 has departed Earth's neighborhood for...asteroid Toutatis!?
According to a Chinese spaceflight forum, Chang'E program chief scientist Ouyang Ziyuan recently announced that Chang'E 2 has departed the Sun-Earth L2 point and is now en route to asteroid 4179 Toutatis!
Planetary Radio is Back on iTunes!
With help from Apple, we've once again made Planetary Radio, our weekly podcast and public radio series, available from the most popular spot on the Net to find and subscribe to podcasts.
Steins, a jewel in the asteroid belt
A notice of some new names for features on asteroid 2867 Steins inspired me to dig up the data set from the September 5, 2008 Rosetta flyby and explore it to see what it contained.
Successful launch for NuSTAR on a Pegasus XL
NuSTAR, the most sensitive X-ray telescope ever developed, launched successfully at 16:00 UT. This was a fun launch to watch, because the launch vehicle was a Pegasus XL air-launched rocket, dropped like a bomb from open bay doors of an L-1011 airplane.
China readies three taikonauts for station visit
The stage is set for China’s space program to make history this weekend, as it prepares to send three taikonauts to visit Tiangong-1, the country’s first space station.
Hold the Moon in Your Hands
Sky & Telescope and Replogle Globes teamed up to take advantage of the fabulous new Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter image mosaic of the Moon to make an equally fabulous new Moon globe.
Curiosity's shrinking landing ellipse
There was good news and bad news in this morning's press briefing about Curiosity rover's upcoming landing on Mars, just eight weeks from now. First, the good news: the landing ellipse has shrunk. The bad news: there's a contamination problem with the drill, and the Odyssey orbiter is in safe mode.
Build your own papercraft Curiosity rover
Glen Nagle pointed me to two awesome papercraft models of the Curiosity rover that you can download and -- assuming you have a LOT of patience and a steady hand -- assemble.
Making Pictures based on NASA Imagery
When amateurs process NASA images, can they hold copyright over them? Yes, sometimes. Andrew Rush of IPinspace.com explains the law.
Watch the recording of my Google+ Science Hour with guest Dan Durda
On June 6 I hosted the Cosmoquest Weekly Science Hour. My guest was Dan Durda of the Southwest Research Institute. We talked asteroids, impact mitigation, searches for Vulcanoids, and suborbital experiments, and then he took us through how he creates his digital space art.
More Venus transits in 2012
A transit of Venus as seen from Jupiter may be observed by Hubble on September 20 and a transit of Venus as seen from Saturn will be observed by Cassini on December 21.
NRO gives NASA two hand-me-down telescopes
The National Reconnaissance Office has donated two, partially-completed space telescopes to NASA, revealed at a National Academies' Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics meeting this week.
Ray Bradbury, a friend of The Planetary Society
Thank you Ray; you changed the world. At the Planetary Society we will do our best to see to it that your dreams and hopes of exploring the distant regions of the Solar System, Mars especially, and are kept alive.
Seeking your stories about Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury passed away last night, June 5, 2012, at the age of 91. He was a friend to the Planetary Society and an inspiration to its members. We'd like you members to share your recollections and stories of his singular influence in your lives.
Notes from a Red Planet: Ray Bradbury
Mars rover driver Scott Maxwell relates a story of how he handed Ray Bradbury an opportunity to drive on Mars.
A Martian Has Died
The last words Ray said to me were, “Yes, I will shout HURRAH!” I was visiting him at his home and had spent a hour or so talking with him about our favorite subject, Mars, as well as reading to him a couple of his own poems. Yesterday he passed away at the age of 91.
Remembering Ray Bradbury
Mat recalls stories from his many interactions with Ray Bradbury, and provides links to Ray's Planetary Radio episodes.