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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
When space rocks get too close for comfort
Some of the best-documented encounters Earthlings have had with asteroids and meteorites.
How astronomers rank dangerous asteroids (and what that means for you)
A breakdown of the Torino scale, designed to give a quick sense of how worried you should be about an asteroid or comet.
Updates from our asteroid-hunting Shoemaker NEO Grant winners
An overview of updates from some of our previous Shoemaker NEO Grant winners.
Needles in the haystack
How advanced amateurs defend Earth from asteroids.
Should you be worried about Asteroid 2024 YR4?
Experts weigh in about the recently discovered near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 that has about a 1% chance of impacting Earth on Dec. 22, 2032.
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.