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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
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.
Ramses: A new mission racing to land on asteroid Apophis
When a skyscraper-sized asteroid narrowly misses Earth in 2029, three spacecraft may be along for the ride.
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.
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.
China targets its first planetary defense test mission
China’s first planetary defense test is taking shape. The ambitious mission will use a single launch to observe and impact a near-Earth asteroid.
What DART has taught us so far
NASA's DART mission showed that if we detect a dangerous asteroid headed toward Earth, knocking it off course with a spacecraft is a potential option.
Asteroids vs comets vs meteorites/meteoroids/meteors
A handy guide to help tease apart the differences between asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids. e
Cometary sights and sounds
Discover what causes a comet’s color and what it might be like to listen to one whiz by.
See for yourself
See the month’s coolest space pictures, see planets in the night sky, and create the future in space that you want to see.
What would happen if an asteroid hit the Moon?
If a large asteroid impacted the Moon, would it cause problems for us here on Earth?
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.
Hasta la vista, baby
Terminators abound this week in space, and we’ll be back to Mars if NASA gets the budget it needs.
Speedy spacecraft and pretty pics
Take a look at some of our favorite recent space images and learn about an express mission to Mars.
Searching the skies to keep us all alive
Astronomers around the world are working to protect the Earth from asteroid impacts, with the help of Planetary Society members and donors.
Want to be a citizen astronomer and defend Earth from asteroids? Here are some tips.
We asked three Planetary Society Shoemaker NEO grant winners for tips on how to assemble your own planetary defense observatory.
Day and night, it’s all about starlight
This week in space: Mars days almost match up with ours, and light and molecules are created by distant stars.
Vladimir Benishek and the mystique of asteroid research
The Planetary Society Shoemaker NEO Grant winner learned from his mother and grandfather, while also forging his own path.
The scientific truth is out there
The real science of aliens, the policy implications of ET, and new views of worlds beyond our own.
Way out there
We’re always learning more about the worlds of the outer Solar System, and even those beyond.
Five asteroid deflection techniques to save the Earth
Kinetic impactor or nuclear blast? Here are some ways to defend our planet from a dangerous asteroid.