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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
The best pictures of Mars from space
Spacecraft have been taking pictures of Mars from space since 1965. Here are some of our favorites.
Storms and showers
Mars has storms of dust, while Saturn pours down ammonia rain. Here on Earth, we passed through a debris tail to get a special kind of shower.
That’s a mare
An unusual lunar feature, Saturn’s shining rings, and Mars’ complex gullies.
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.
What does a bear have in common with a megatsunami?
An old image of Mars drives scientific questions today, moons and mini asteroids fuel fascination, and an unexpected ursine figure shows itself.
Your guide to water on Mars
Mars used to have oceans, lakes, and rivers. Where did the water go, how much is left, and how can we use it for science and exploration?
Rather remarkable robots
The robotic explorers of our Cosmos are truly impressive, as showcased by several spacecraft this week.
Sights beyond the visible
See images your eyes wouldn’t normally be able to see, and learn about what these images can teach you.
Let’s not forget the other Mars explorers
This week we take a look at some of the amazing Mars exploration being conducted, and celebrate the highlights of space in 2021.
Spotting Rovers From Above and Asteroids From Afar
China’s Zhurong Mars rover snaps a selfie and gets a bird’s-eye-view pic from above, and asteroid hunters of all kinds look out for dangerous rocks.
Life on Mars: Your Questions Answered
The red planet once had liquid water on the surface, and conditions that could have supported life.
A Martian smile and an Apollo anniversary
We’re gearing up for a Mars landing, and our chief advocate takes a look at crewed Moon programs past and future.
Looking up at bright planets, asteroids, and burning trash
Get an update on the latest in space exploration, and find out how you can help defend the Earth from asteroid impacts.
HiRISE Team Overcomes Imaging Glitches as Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Eyes another Decade in Orbit
Blurred images and battery issues are no longer an immediate problem.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Spots InSight Hardware on Mars
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has finally spotted the InSight lander, its parachute, and its heat shield resting on the Martian surface. The images confirm the location of InSight's landing site, a little to the north and west of the center of the landing ellipse. The lander is located at 4.499897° N, 135.616000° E.
Curiosity update, sols 2093-2162: Three tries to successful drill atop Vera Rubin Ridge
Heedless of the (now-dissipating) dust storm, Curiosity has achieved its first successful drill into rocks that form the Vera Rubin ridge, and is hopefully on the way to a second. It took three attempts for Curiosity to find a soft enough spot, with Voyageurs and Ailsa Craig being too tough, but Stoer proved obligingly soft on sol 2136.
#LPSC2018: Mars mass wasting in the laboratory
Mars today is a dynamic place. One visually dramatic sign of change on Mars is
Maintaining the health of an aging Mars orbiter
NASA has announced changes to how engineers are operating Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in order to prolong its life as long as possible, long enough to support the Mars 2020 rover mission.
HiRISE image coverage of the Curiosity field site on Mars, Version 4.0
The latest and greatest update of Emily's list of all the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE images that contain Curiosity hardware, tracks, or traverses.
#DPS2017: Progress report on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images of comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring
Three years ago, on October 19, 2014, comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring passed within 138,000 kilometers of Mars. At the 2017 meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society, we heard a progress report on Mars orbiter imaging of the comet's nucleus.