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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
A Sky Full of Stars
In pictures of the planets, the stars aren't usually visible. But when they do appear, they're spectacular.
Cassini begins a year of icy moon encounters with a flyby of Rhea
At last! Cassini is orbiting in Saturn's ring plane again. I do enjoy the dramatic photographs of Saturn's open ring system that Cassini can get from an inclined orbit, and we won't be getting those again for another year. But with an orbit close to the ring plane, Cassini can repeatedly encounter Saturn's icy moons, and icy moon flybys are my favorite thing about the Cassini mission.
FOIA Request Sheds Light on NASA Mission Extension Process
A FOIA request offers insight into NASA's planetary science extended mission review process, which seems, at best, confusing, and at worst—with adjectival ratings like “Very Good/Good”—arbitrary.
Ceres Coming Into View
Dawn is on approach to Ceres, the largest of the asteroids, and is starting to resolve features.
Flawed Beauties
More examples of imperfect--but tantalizing--images from deep space.
Fountains of Water Vapor and Ice
Deepak Dhingra shares some of the latest research on Enceladus' geysers presented at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco last month.
Riding With Cassini Through 2014
Video: see some of the sights Cassini saw this year.
Planetary exploration in 2015: The Year of the Dwarf Planet
Looking ahead to what we can expect from Earth's exploration of the rest of the solar system in 2015, there's an obvious theme: Dwarf planets.
A (Difficult) Day in the Solar System
After a bad day on the launch pad, some perspective.
Cassini's awesomeness fully funded through mission's dramatic end in 2017
Last year, rumors swirled that NASA may be so pinched for dollars that the agency might end the Cassini mission early. Today, Cassini received the welcome news that it has formally been funded through the planned end of its extended-extended mission in 2017. A huge congratulations to the Cassini mission!
Curiosity Rover Science Plan Slammed by NASA Review Panel
Senior review recommends continuing all major planetary exploration missions, but not without some changes.
On the masses and motions of mini-moons: Pandora's not a "shepherd," but Prometheus still is
As Cassini celebrates 10 years at Saturn, we're beginning to see its long-term observations of Saturnian moons bear fruit. A surprising new result: While Prometheus exerts control over the F ring and Atlas, Pandora -- long thought to be a shepherd of the F ring -- does not.
A close look at Saturn's closest moons
A new composite image of the eight named moons that orbit closest to Saturn, and a list of all the best Cassini observations of these moons.
Of Rings and Resolution
Seeing Saturn before and after Cassini.
Another Day in the Solar System
One day, five worlds.
Another Pale Blue Dot — Uranus Spied By Cassini
The Cassini mission has already returned an array of images of other solar system members from Saturn orbit: Earth (and the Moon), Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. It’s time to add another world to that list!
LPSC 2014: Titan's Land of Lakes
Report from a varied session on Titan's lakes at this year's Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
Snapshots of Science from the 2014 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Vignettes from dozens of LPSC talks: GRAIL and LADEE at the Moon; ice and craters and conglomerates and organics and gullies on Mars; polar deposits and volatile elements on Mercury; tectonics on Enceladus; and more, until my brain was so full I could barely speak.
Dancing With Saturn
Cassini images in motion.