https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/planets/RSS feed for PlanetsenFri, 22 May 2026 20:14:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-nasas-stunning-new-images-of-mars-captured-during-an-asteroid-bound-spacecrafts-strategic-flyby-180988788/The Psyche mission, on its way to study an asteroid of the same name, approached within 2,864 miles of the red planet on May 15Fri, 22 May 2026 20:14:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-nasas-stunning-new-images-of-mars-captured-during-an-asteroid-bound-spacecrafts-strategic-flyby-180988788/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptunes-moon-nereid-might-be-the-sole-intact-survivor-of-an-ancient-lunar-collision-180988785/A study suggests that the ice giant's largest moon, Triton, made a dramatic entrance to the Neptunian system long ago, kicking Nereid outward and destroying the planet's other original lunar companionsThu, 21 May 2026 20:16:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptunes-moon-nereid-might-be-the-sole-intact-survivor-of-an-ancient-lunar-collision-180988785/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-curiosity-rover-had-a-martian-rock-stuck-on-its-arm-for-days-watch-it-successfully-shook-the-stubborn-stone-off-180988708/While drilling has fractured rocks, this is the first time the instrument has ever accidentally pulled a whole chunk from the ground, according to the space agencyMon, 11 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-curiosity-rover-had-a-martian-rock-stuck-on-its-arm-for-days-watch-it-successfully-shook-the-stubborn-stone-off-180988708/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-tiny-celestial-body-past-pluto-shouldnt-have-an-atmosphere-but-astronomers-say-they-may-have-detected-one-180988690/Worlds this small and distant are thought to be too cold and have too little surface gravity to hold onto gases. But the findings suggest that icy, rocky objects in the solar system's outer reaches are more dynamic than we thoughtFri, 08 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-tiny-celestial-body-past-pluto-shouldnt-have-an-atmosphere-but-astronomers-say-they-may-have-detected-one-180988690/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-pluto-once-again-be-considered-a-planet-new-remarks-from-nasas-administrator-highlight-an-enduring-debate-among-scientists-180988671/Two decades ago, the International Astronomical Union—which defines and names celestial bodies—redefined the criteria for being a planet, putting Pluto into the new category of dwarf planetTue, 05 May 2026 15:56:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-pluto-once-again-be-considered-a-planet-new-remarks-from-nasas-administrator-highlight-an-enduring-debate-among-scientists-180988671/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discover-27-potential-planets-each-orbiting-two-stars-just-like-the-fictional-tatooine-in-star-wars-180988667/The findings could more than double our current database of worlds that loop around binary star systems. But researchers need to analyze more data before they can officially celebrate a new trove of far, far away exoplanetsMon, 04 May 2026 19:24:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discover-27-potential-planets-each-orbiting-two-stars-just-like-the-fictional-tatooine-in-star-wars-180988667/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-came-from-an-extremely-cold-lonely-region-of-the-milky-way-galaxy-new-research-suggests-180988625/Astronomers analyzed the vapors coming off the comet when it neared the sun and found it had a lot of "heavy" water. That hints it grew up in a frigid planetary system, possibly before its home star formedMon, 27 Apr 2026 19:26:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-came-from-an-extremely-cold-lonely-region-of-the-milky-way-galaxy-new-research-suggests-180988625/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-mars-rover-found-building-blocks-of-life-never-seen-on-the-red-planet-before-boosting-the-case-for-ancient-habitability-180988610/The organic molecules discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover could have been formed by life, but they could have also come from geologic processes or meteoritesThu, 23 Apr 2026 20:10:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-mars-rover-found-building-blocks-of-life-never-seen-on-the-red-planet-before-boosting-the-case-for-ancient-habitability-180988610/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artemis-2-astronauts-successfully-return-to-earth-after-completing-a-historic-mission-around-the-moon-180988513/The crewmembers splashed down Friday after breaking a space-faring record and viewing lunar features never seen by human eyes during their ten-day trip. It marks the first time anyone has left Earth's orbit in more than 50 yearsSat, 11 Apr 2026 00:07:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artemis-2-astronauts-successfully-return-to-earth-after-completing-a-historic-mission-around-the-moon-180988513/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lightning-strikes-on-jupiter-are-100-times-as-powerful-as-those-on-earth-a-new-study-suggests-180988455/Scientists finally have a clearer picture of the gas giant's intense stormsMon, 06 Apr 2026 19:04:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lightning-strikes-on-jupiter-are-100-times-as-powerful-as-those-on-earth-a-new-study-suggests-180988455/