Find your place in space. Become a member today at planetary.org
Pasadena, CA
- Tweets 21,608
- Following 856
- Followers 240,692
- Likes 9,076
Breaking: Seven Earth-size planets discovered, 40 light-years away, three of which could harbor liquid water! planet.ly/TRAPPIST1
81
4,947
7,993
MISSION SUCCESS!
We just raised our orbit around Earth using sunlight alone, something that’s never been done before.
#LightSail2 is now the highest performing solar sail to date and it's 100% crowdfunded by our members and backers!
107
1,397
5,077
Science is political, but it is not partisan. Science benefits us all.
Wisdom from this weekend's #MarchForScience from our CEO:
342
1,192
3,758
Congratulations to our CEO, @BillNye, on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor! 🎉 Bill continues to inspire us all with his unwavering dedication to advancing planetary missions, protecting Earth, and championing funding for planetary science research.
67
376
4,082
76,525
Goodbye, Dr. Hawking. Thank you for sharing your beautiful mind with this pale blue dot.
36
1,141
3,706
Science brings out the best in us. With it, we know the cosmos and our place in the universe.
Let's change the world! #MarchForScience
41
1,265
3,039
When a selfie is so cool it reaches absolute zero.
Celebrating #NationalSelfieDay with two Planetary Society legends 🚀
74
769
2,872
"The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone, our home that must be defended like a holy relic." —Alexei Leonov, the world's first spacewalker, who passed away today at 85. Rest in peace 🚀🌟
13
803
2,298
This one goes out to all the members and backers who made this solar sailing mission possible. Go #LightSail2!
69
598
2,400
The Planetary Society has advocated for a Mars microphone for over 25 years. Today, @NASA released the first recorded sounds of Mars. Congratulations @NASAPersevere and Planetary Society members on this remarkable achievement!
48
602
2,153
Mark your calendars—LightSail 2 is set to launch next month aboard a #SpaceX Falcon Heavy!
Our citizen-funded solar sail is officially scheduled to lift off on 22 June 2019: planetary.org/blogs/jason-da…
30
509
2,078
Farewell, @CassiniSaturn. Thank you for inspiring us all.
19
816
1,853
Neptune is so beautiful! 😭
@NASAWebb's first image of the planet is the clearest view we've had of its rings in over 30 years.
ALT This is a wide-field image of the planet Neptune. The planet's rings and largest moons are dazzling against a background of distant galaxies.
12
230
1,797
In 1992, NASA astronaut Mae Jemison became the first black woman to fly in space. In 1996, she filed a police brutality complaint against a police officer for twisting her arm and throwing her down on the pavement while arresting her during a traffic stop.
24
620
1,676
A perfect day for sailing! Images from the spacecraft confirm the solar sails deployed on 23 June 2019 at 11:47 PDT. Details at planetary.org/blogs/jason-da…
38
425
1,679
Happy Birthday to our co-founder, Carl Sagan. ♥️
This candid shot captures him by the Viking lander, script in hand, in between scenes while on the set of his acclaimed public television series "Cosmos." Carl played a key role in Viking mission design. Credit: @NASAJPL
24
310
1,669
95,997
That'll do, Ingenuity. That'll do. Today @NASA's Ingenuity helicopter ended its mission. The tiny 'copter rode to Mars in the belly of Perseverance and was only meant to perform up to 5 experimental test flights over 30 days but ended up performing 72 flights over almost 3 years.
32
343
1,561
70,094
Mars like you've never seen before: a rare set of images just published by @elakdawalla planet.ly/hdmL2
@isro @MarsOrbiter #MCC
29
745
1,632
Saturn's ravioli-shaped moon Pan. (NASA / JPL-Caltech / SSI / @IanARegan) #InSpaceTogether
40
251
1,570
Reasons to go back to Neptune:
1. We haven't sent a spacecraft there since 1989.
2. Do we need another reason?
3. Its moon Triton is — strange.
If @NASA's Neptune Odyssey gets the green light, Neptune could get its very own orbiter. Learn more here: planetary.org/articles/retur…
26
196
1,555
The @NASAPersevere rover takes the gold medal for the longest drive made by a Mars rover in a single Martian day. 🥇
7
143
1,557
Here's a @NASAWebb poster for your space swag collection!
You can download it here: exoplanets.nasa.gov/resource…
13
248
1,530
Here are our five recommendations to the Trump administration as it contemplates the future of the U.S. space program:
47
729
1,423
"Roads? Where we're going we don't need...roads." 😎
via @elonmusk instagram.com/p/Be6VZEzgAEk/
20
416
1,457
Happy Carl Sagan Day ❤️ This video footage is from when our co-founder Carl Sagan, unveiled the Pale Blue Dot image at a press conference on the Voyager missions in 1990. We are grateful to have had Carl for a blip of time on this "mote of dust suspended on a sunbeam." ✨
21
434
1,425
114,150
Cassini captured so much more than data and pretty images of Saturn. It captured our hearts and imaginations.🪐
Here's your guide to the @CassiniSaturn mission: planetary.org/space-missions…
14
255
1,482
A lake on Mars!!
BREAKING: @ESA may have just found the first present-day body of liquid water on Mars nature.com/articles/d41586-0…
Got questions? We’ve got answers, ask away!
74
675
1,403
Carl Sagan dreamed of solar sailing before founding The Planetary Society in 1980. Our members helped us fulfill that dream with the launch of our crowdfunded LightSail 2 mission.
Do you think Carl would be proud?
20
232
1,411
Happy Carl Sagan Day!
Today we remember our co-founder on what would have been his 86th birthday.
How has Carl Sagan inspired you?
#CarlSaganDay
49
207
1,361
On this day in 1996, Carl Sagan left this world. His message lives on each and every day in those who look up and wonder.
16
920
1,330
The @NASAWebb is fully deployed!
How are you celebrating? 👏🥳🎉
31
198
1,325
Happy birthday to our co-founder, Dr. Carl Sagan.
Our founders formed The Planetary Society to demonstrate—simply by its existence—that the public strongly supported planetary exploration.
In honor of Carl, consider writing to Congress today: planet.ly/FundNASA2017
14
330
1,245
This image of Saturn through Titan's atmosphere is breathtaking.
@NASA's @CassiniSaturn spacecraft caught this view of Saturn in 2005 when it passed 7,500 kilometers above Titan, the planet's largest moon.
What was your favorite Cassini moment?
28
239
1,298
Astrophysicist and Queen rock legend Brian May is here at @JHUAPL. His song about Ultima Thule premieres tonight.
(Meanwhile in the Kuiper belt...)
"Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time!!" 🎶
-The New Horizons spacecraft, probably, if it could sing
13
389
1,263
The last two legs on @NASA's Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter rotated into position!
(Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
4
163
1,320
Science nerds unite! Grab an exclusive @BillNye "Science is Universal" shirt & support The Planetary Society: bit.ly/2mPGWZ0
13
242
1,249
70 kilometers above the surface of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. planet.ly/Titan70
19
500
1,146
Wow!
This image of the Orion constellation above the giant trees of the Sequoia National Park in California was taken in November by Cobey Cobb, a Planetary Society member.
14
228
1,204
Are you able to see it?
I took identical pictures of Saturn a year apart, and because of the tilt of the planet, it creates a stereoscopic effect. Relax your eyes a bit so the image overlaps, and you can see the depth. #astrophotography #space #opteam
53
147
1,190
A 2020 study estimated that every dollar that goes into @NASA’s budget adds more than eight dollars back into the U.S. economy. When we invest in knowledge and discovery, it pays off.
ALT This is an image of Mars from space, created from photos taken by NASA's Viking orbiter. There is a large dark feature on the right side of the planet, a region called Syrtis Major.
29
177
1,177
Built for 90 days, #Opportunity lasted 14 years. Today we say farewell to the Mars rover.
Congratulations to the team who built, cared for, and operated this remarkable science mission.
11
410
1,116
Run Carl Sagan's non-profit. ✔️
Put cool spacecraft into space. ✔️
Host @netflix show. ✔️
wapo.st/2bReih4
19
284
1,117
Because it orbits Neptune in a direction opposite the planet's rotation, scientists think the moon Triton may be a captured dwarf planet. To add to its intrigue, Triton may also have a liquid water ocean beneath its icy shell.
12
123
1,191
For the dinosaurs! The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission just smashed into the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos and planetary defense will never be the same.
Here are the last images that #DARTMission took before impact: planetary.org/articles/nasa-…
ALT This is one of the last images the Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission took before it smashed into an asteroid.
31
203
1,106
Our CEO @BillNye wearing modular shirt inside our new modular headquarters. #hiptobesquare
36
313
1,079
Astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, science popularizer, communicator, father, friend, and our co-founder.
Here's to the man who inspired us to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish our pale blue dot. #CarlSaganDay
15
435
1,038
Patience, little #MarsHelicopter. Patience.
14
216
1,080
This has never happened before. Every living former NASA Science Chief united to sign a joint letter to Congress, urging them to reject a devastating 47% cut to NASA’s science budget.
Led by our board member and former NASA Associate Administrator of Science John Grunsfeld, we helped bring this letter to life. Read the full letter here ⬇️ planetary.org/press-releases…
30
405
1,232
66,001
Put your solar sailing hats on, this is HUGE news for #LightSail2! We're on the next @SpaceX #FalconHeavy!
18
253
1,013
Magnificent! Congratulations, to the entire @SpaceX team!!
13
397
1,009
Carl Sagan pointed out that we humans are made of material that originated in stars. Since we are star stuff studying the universe around us, he poetically concluded that "we are a way for the cosmos to know itself." Talk about the ultimate selfie!
15
169
976
Jupiter is truly ginormous. If you took every other object in the solar system — minus the Sun — and smashed them into a ball, you would only have half the mass of Jupiter. (Not to mention that you would have destroyed a bunch of planets.)
28
91
986
NASA needs your help! Tell Congress: keep investing in space and science.
Help stop the proposed cuts to NASA's budget, write today: planet.ly/FundNASA2019
21
294
980
No one knew what the surface of Mars looked like up close until @NASA's Viking 1 snapped a picture of its landing site on July 20, 1976.
Our co-founder Carl Sagan helped design and manage the twin Viking missions and select their landing sites.
12
136
996
BREAKING: Just announced at #IAC2017
Australia will be establishing a national space agency!
Congratulations! 🇦🇺
14
241
947
Three for three!! Center core has landed! First time all three #SpaceX #FalconHeavy boosters have landed!
10
252
961
Just a few of the many women working hard to make space exploration happen.
Thanks for hanging, @TheSpaceGal!#InternationalWomensDay
4
177
867
When nations dream big, everything falls into place. Our CEO @BillNye and National Coordinator for Canada Kate Howells spoke with Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau this morning about science, innovation, and Canada's future in space.
37
138
923
Here are Saturn's rings in a new light.
NASA's @CassiniSaturn spacecraft took this image of Saturn's C and B rings (from left to right) on June 30, 2004, using an Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph.
7
161
951
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.
More from @elakdawalla planetary.org/blogs/emily-la…
11
184
938
Whirlpool of blood? Gateway to hell? Or — just Jupiter's most recognizable feature? 😄
This image from the @NASAJuno spacecraft shows the center of Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
4
105
967
It's almost Ultima Thule flyby time! Go, @NASANewHorizons, go!
Here's everything you need to know: planetary.org/blogs/emily-la…
15
197
902
Watch #Eclipse2017 LIVE! planetary.org/get-involved/e…
8
146
900
Happy Birthday, @RobertPicardo! Here's to the best EMH board member we could ever ask for 🎉
16
105
885
NASA's #Apollo16 launched to the Moon #OTD fifty years ago!
When the mission returned to Earth in 1972, astronaut John Young said, "I think we’ve seen as much in 10 days as most people would have seen in 10 lifetimes."
Learn more about Apollo 16 here: planetary.org/space-missions…
ALT This is an image of astronaut John Young collecting samples on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission with a lunar rover in the background.
8
133
918
29 years ago today, Voyager 1 took this iconic image of Earth, appearing as a tiny point of light, a crescent only 0.12 pixel in size.
The pale blue dot. The only home we've ever known.
10
354
857
Venus, Io, or Triton?
NASA just announced it will pick up to 2 missions to explore 1 or more of these worlds. Which would you visit?
nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-…
124
134
859
PRESS ALERT: Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye Releases Statement on Total Solar Eclipse planetary.org/press-room/rel…
16
171
839
Space for your face!
Shop to stay safe, shop to support—a portion of every purchase goes directly to advancing space science and exploration.
Get your official Planetary Society @AIRBANDMASK at airbandmask.com/products/uni…
21
102
827
Emergency Medical Hologram @RobertPicardo found something very special to share with us to celebrate this #StarTrekDay:
24
278
799
There goes #LightSail2! Precisely 7 days after its release from the #FalconHeavy, the front door of Prox-1’s CubeSat dispenser, called a P-POD, will swing open and allow a large spring to nudge LightSail 2 out into space.
16
154
837
Happy #AstronomyDay! Look to the stars and get your mind blown by the wonders of our universe.
10
658
804
New Cameras on Mars! The flow of raw images sent from Mars, straight to the Web, has begun: planetary.org/blogs/emily-la…
12
261
809
The moment the #Cassini signal went dead from the Deep Space Network 😢
via Janice Borrero
26
402
817
The plot thickens!
In 2020, a team announced they may have detected phosphine, a gas linked to life, on Venus. Now, a reanalysis of 43-year-old data from @NASA's Pioneer Venus Multiprobe shows it may have found phosphine, too!
Learn more here: planetary.org/articles/pione…
12
133
799
Solar sailing works because light has momentum, even though it has no mass. The momentum gets transferred to the sail, pushing it forward. This quirk of physics may be what someday enables interstellar travel.
36
140
776
The first image of a black hole was just released. 55 million light years from Earth. Made possible by a team of over 200 scientists.
Here's everything you need to know: eventhorizontelescope.org
11
147
786
Bill Nye The Birthday Guy! Happy birthday to our dear CEO, thank you for inspiring the world 🎉
15
269
755
Jupiter, you are one crazy beautiful planet.
New @NASAJuno processed image from @_TheSeaning flickr.com/photos/136797589@…
12
175
751
The @NASAJuno mission has gone farther into deep space than any other solar-powered probe. Most spacecraft that far from the Sun need nuclear power to operate, but Juno's three huge solar panels collect enough sunlight to keep it going.
2
82
767
What do you think NASA should call its next Mars rover?
🔲 Promise
🔲 Endurance
🔲 Clarity
🔲 Fortitude
🔲 Courage
🔲 Perseverance
🔲 Tenacity
🔲 Ingenuity
🔲 Vision
❌Rover McRoverface
Tell us your pick, and then vote here: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/parti…
235
161
772
Experience #Eclipse2017 on August 21!
Here's what you need to know from our CEO @BillNye and the @NatlParkService: planet.ly/SolarEclipse
28
341
740