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Planetary Science Institute

@psi.edu
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www.psi.edu A private nonprofit dedicated to studying the origin, characteristics, and evolution of planetary systems and planets, including the Earth.

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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 28m
Congrats to PSI scientist Than Putzig and the entire GIMLI team on their selection by NASA for the PRISM program! PSI also congratulates the teams behind the selected LEMS-SP and DISCO investigations. We can't wait to see the science these investigations make possible. More: buff.ly/XfllKCV
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NASA Adds New Science Investigations for Moon Base - NASA
NASA selected three new scientific investigations and their payload suites to advance our knowledge of the Moon and help pave the way for building humanity’s
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 6h
This groovy #JunoCam image captures two of Jupiter's large, rotating storms. It was taken on November 29, 2021 at 6:07 a.m. PST as the Juno spacecraft performed its 38th close flyby of Jupiter. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill/ M.Petter
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 28/09/2026
📬 The latest PSI Weekly Briefing is here! Take a look at this week’s issue, and subscribe to have the PSI Weekly Briefing delivered straight to your inbox. Read + subscribe: buff.ly/dkAoqro
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 24/09/2026
🌪️ How much science is really behind your favorite natural disaster movies? Join PSI scientist Jenny Larson at #FanX26 for “The Worst is Over... Or is it?: A Deeper Dive into the Science of Natural Disaster Films.” 📅 9/25 @ 6:00 pm 📍 Room255F Watch a preview of Jenny's talk: buff.ly/BzUjxL5
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 23/09/2026
Relive the fun of International Observe the Moon Night! PSI celebrated in-person this year at both our headquarters in Tucson and with our Colorado team in Denver. 📸 Take a look back at the celebrations and read the recap: buff.ly/xghqO4N #ObserveTheMoon
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 23/09/2026
This #JunoCam image captures Jupiter's dynamic northern cyclones. It was taken on July 16, 2024 at 7:20 a.m. PDT (10:20 a.m. EDT) as the Juno spacecraft performed its 63rd close flyby of Jupiter. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Thomas Thomopoulos
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 22/09/2026
What a night! Thank you to everyone who joined us at PSI HQ for International Observe the Moon Night! Here’s a look back at some of our favorite moments. 🌕💫
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 22/09/2026
When did early Earth become stable enough for life’s chemistry to persist? New research, published in @Nature.com and co-led by PSI scientist Oleg Abramov, points to around 4.33 billion years ago, when declining impacts allowed increasingly stable environments to emerge. 🔗 : buff.ly/CAbqnlV
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 21/09/2026
🌕 Keep the Moon celebration going! This week’s PSI Weekly Briefing explores the Moon’s formation, spotlights PSI co-founders Bill Hartmann & Don Davis, and features Hartmann’s lunar art. 🎨 Read the latest + subscribe for more planetary science: buff.ly/bzLGXEv
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 19/09/2026
What does the Moon mean to you? 🌓 PSI Co-founder Bill Hartmann shared how the Moon changed his life. We're so excited to celebrate the Moon tonight during International Observe the Moon Night. Join us in Tucson, Denver, or online. Details: buff.ly/F3DiMwf #ObservetheMoon
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 18/09/2026
PSI Co-founder William Hartmann is both a planetary scientist and accomplished space artist, using his scientific understanding to help bring other worlds to life. Explore some of his visions of the Moon. ⬇️ See some of these pieces in person at PSI 9/19! Details: buff.ly/Jg9CDTw #SciArt
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 17/09/2026
You don’t have to be a planetary scientist to do planetary science! PSI’s World Mappers lets anyone help study the Moon by identifying features in real lunar images. Start mapping: buff.ly/YcKFyQV Come explore the Moon with us at Tucson HQ on 9/19! 🔭 Details: buff.ly/Jg9CDTw
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 15/09/2026
We’re getting ready for International Observe the Moon Night this Saturday and looking back at the incredible Artemis II journey around the Moon! 📽️ Relive it: buff.ly/l1fN2Hq Then join us Sept. 19 in Tucson, Denver, or online! Details ➡️ buff.ly/Jg9CDTw
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Artemis: To the Moon and back again, with Joy
CosmoQuest's love letter to the Artemis II mission. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:05 Day 1: Launch, Two Outlooks 03:04 Day 2: Translunar Injection 04:13 Day 3: A room with a view 05:03 Day 4:…
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 14/09/2026
"Growing up, I was always interested in science. I had a chemistry set, a microscope (but not a telescope!), watched all the science documentaries I could find..." Read the full Q&A with Senior Scientist Henry Hsieh in our Weekly Bulletin! buff.ly/RVQ6Kv3
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 11/09/2026
This week's #SciArt is wearable! Not only is PSI's Pamela Gay a scientist, researcher & communicator, she's also an artist. This beautiful pendant, Cerulean Stillshot Among the Stars, is just one example of how she interprets the beauty of the universe.
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 11/09/2026
50 years after Viking landed on Mars, what have we learned about the search for life, and where do we go next? PSI Senior Scientist David Grinspoon joined @CosmoQuest to talk Mars, astrobiology, Venus, and the future of planetary exploration. 🎥 buff.ly/N8GFOIJ
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Viking: Chasing Astrobiology then and now with David Grinspoon
In 2026, we are seeing a number of 50 year anniversaries for the Viking 1 and 2 missions to Mars. From their landings in August and September 1976, to the first astrobiology reports in December 1976,…
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 09/09/2026
This #JunoCam image captures the North North North Temperate Belt (N3TB). It was taken on May 23, 2018 at 10:27 pm PDT as the Juno spacecraft performed its 13th close flyby of Jupiter. Credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 08/09/2026
🚀 Join the PSI team! Want to help make planetary science possible? PSI is hiring for two key positions at our headquarters in Tucson, Arizona: - Office Manager - Sponsored Projects Manager Learn more & apply: buff.ly/qvAqKgS
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 08/09/2026
For 20 years, PSI's Henry Hsieh has studied a hidden population in the asteroid belt: objects with asteroid-like orbits that behave like comets. Now, new observations from @vrubinobs.bsky.social could transform the field. Read more: buff.ly/3fnP3uB Image Credit: NASA/ESA
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 07/09/2026
Did you know PSI Senior Scientist and Senior Education and Communication Specialist Pamela Gay recently had an asteroid named after her? Read our Q&A with her in the Weekly Bulletin! buff.ly/CFyoM5j
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 06/09/2026
TOMORROW - Tune in for @AstronomyCast's 20 years celebration! Join PSI Senior Scientist Pamela Gay and Co-Host Fraser Cain LIVE Monday, Sept 7, at 2 pm ET for the recording of episode 800. Watch live: buff.ly/L11XXIG or Twitch.tv/CosmoQuestX
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 04/09/2026
This week's #PlanetaryPet is Roxie! Bossy Roxie makes sure to speak up when she wants a snack or wet food. Roxie is what PSI’s Kat Volk describes as “semi-feral.” Kat says Roxie’s favorite hobbies include hissing at Kat and gently smacking Kat’s hand if the food service isn’t quite fast enough.
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 03/09/2026
PSI Director and CEO Amanda Hendrix spoke with NPR about changes to federal science advisory committees and why they matter. The committees allowed NASA leaders to “hear almost directly from the community,” Hendrix said. Read more: buff.ly/LGFkI7O
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The U.S. relied on these science advisers. Then the Trump administration cut them
The federal government recruits top experts to volunteer to advise on pressing research issues of the day. Since President Trump took office, hundreds of these experts have been dismissed.
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 03/09/2026
@AstronomyCast is celebrating 20 years! Join PSI Senior Scientist Pamela Gay and Co-Host Fraser Cain LIVE Monday, Sept 7, at 2 pm ET for the recording of episode 800. Watch live: buff.ly/L11XXIG or Twitch.tv/CosmoQuestX Learn more: buff.ly/n0UETdD
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 02/09/2026
This #JunoCam image captures the North Circumpolar Cyclones in false color. It was taken on April 08, 2023 at 12:53 am PDT as the Juno spacecraft performed its 50th close flyby of Jupiter. Credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS/Navaneeth Krishnan S
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 30/08/2026
Don't forget - NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch tomorrow at 7:26 a.m. EDT (4:26 a.m. PDT)! With a field of view at least 100x larger than Hubble’s, Roman will give scientists an extraordinarily wide view of the universe. Follow the launch: buff.ly/fF8f1g3
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Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — Falcon Heavy | RocketLaunch.Live
SpaceX Falcon Heavy launching from Kennedy Space Center. August 30, 2026
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 27/08/2026
TONIGHT: PSI Senior Scientist Jeffrey Kargel is scheduled to join Anderson Cooper at 8pm ET on @CNN.com to discuss the devastating disaster in the Himalayas. Kargel has spent decades studying glaciers in the region and will outline the science behind this destructive event.
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 27/08/2026
Roman will look deep into the universe. But thousands of objects in our own Solar System will cross its view along the way. PSI’s Susan Benecchi is helping make sure scientists can study them, potentially revealing new clues about the building blocks of planets.
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A Bigger Picture: How Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Could Transform Our View of the Solar System - Planetary Science Institute
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled to launch August 30th, is designed to tackle some of the biggest questions in astrophysics, from the
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 27/08/2026
Join CosmoQuest, a PSI project, for a livestream of tonight's Partial Lunar Eclipse! Starts 9pm EDT. Details ⬇️
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 27/08/2026
Our thoughts are with all affected by the devastating flooding and debris flows in the Himalayas. Initial assessments indicate a collapse of rock and ice triggered the destructive flow. PSI Senior Scientist Jeff Kargel briefed the Nepali PM on the science behind the event. More: buff.ly/UtQoHWO
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Glacier collapse may have triggered 'almost incomprehensible' Nepal flood
Scientists don't yet know exactly what triggered the Nepal flood, but they suspect a glacier collapse and suggest climate change also played a role.
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 27/08/2026
This #JunoCam image is an artistic rendering of Jet S4. It was taken on July 21, 2021 at 1:55 a.m. PDT (4:55 a.m. EDT) as the Juno spacecraft performed its 35th close flyby of Jupiter. Submitted by: raster_master
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 25/08/2026
PSI in the News: Senior Scientist Norbert Schorghofer talks to Scientific America about China's Chang'e 7 mission to the moon's south pole. buff.ly/rZ0HBau
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China is about to launch its most ambitious moon mission yet
The country’s latest mission, Chang’e 7, will be the first ever to land directly at the moon’s south pole. Whatever it finds there could radically reshape a new space race
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 24/08/2026
PSI’s Isaac Smith has been studying Mars for decades and currently serves as Co-Investigator for SHARAD on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Read more in this week's newsletter! buff.ly/sspGfnR
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 21/08/2026
This week's #PlanetaryPet is PSI Director Amanda Hendrix's furbaby, May! Sweet May had to wear her little chapeau as she recovered from an ear infection. Doesn’t look like it dampened her spirits, though!
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 20/08/2026
Please join us in welcoming Sam Riestenberg as our new Science Communications Manager and Public Information Officer! Bringing more than a decade of experience, Sam will partner with PSI scientists to share discoveries and help inspire curiosity about planetary science. Read more: buff.ly/OkQ86nh
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 19/08/2026
This #JunoCam image is a photographic negative of Jet N6. It was taken on Oct 22, 2024 at 10:40 a.m. PDT (1:40 p.m. EDT) as the Juno spacecraft performed its 66th close flyby of Jupiter. Credit: NASA/JPL/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Thomas Thomopoulos
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 17/08/2026
"Something about extinct rivers really grabbed me, and from then on I wanted to study Mars." Senior Scientist Hanna Sizemore chats about what moved her to pursue a career in planetary science. Read the full Q&A in our Weekly Briefing buff.ly/LQsgchs
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 15/08/2026
PSI Senior Scientist Roger Clark and his wife Susan watched Wednesday's solar eclipse in style off the coast of Spain and sent us these great photos!
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 14/08/2026
This week's #SciArt by PSI co-founder William Hartmann features the Sun, Earth & Moon in an energizing and vibrant view of our little corner of the Solar System. This painting is a featured piece of the William K Hartmann Art Collection at the PSI HQ buff.ly/iOao6Ha
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 12/08/2026
This #JunoCam image captures intricate storms across Jet N6. It was taken on August 17, 2022 at 7:37 a.m. PDT as the Juno spacecraft performed its 44th close flyby of Jupiter.
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 11/08/2026
Interested in volunteering with PSI? We have a new docent program! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Those submitted by August 21 will be considered for our fall program, with training starting in September buff.ly/eQsLRxN
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 11/08/2026
PSI in the News: Senior Scientist Amanda Sickafoose and her team may have detected the first signs of Pluto’s atmospheric collapse. Read all about it over at Gizmodo! buff.ly/VFMzBS3
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Pluto's Atmosphere May Finally Be Starting to Collapse
For the first time since its discovery in 1920, Pluto is entering the outer solar system—a journey that’s slowly thinning out its atmosphere.
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 10/08/2026
More than 125 researchers, trustees, administrative staff, and guests gathered at the Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort July 29-31 for the Planetary Science Institute’s 2026 annual retreat. Read more about it in our Weekly Briefing! buff.ly/Lzel6KN
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 07/08/2026
This week's #PlanetaryPet is Tweety! This pretty parrot lives with PSI senior scientist Shawn Wright and family. Shawn and wife Winnie's son’s nickname in Chinese translates to “Sylvester” and they thought that Sylvester should have a pal named Tweety, like in Looney Tunes.
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 06/08/2026
Interested in volunteering with PSI? We have a new docent program! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Those submitted by August 21 will be considered for our fall program, with training starting in September buff.ly/eQsLRxN
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 05/08/2026
#JunoCam: This image captures storms and pop-up clouds over Jet N5. It was taken on February 24, 2022 at 4:55 p.m. PST (7:55 p.m. EST) as the Juno spacecraft performed its 40th close flyby of Jupiter. Credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS/Sergio Díaz
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 03/08/2026
"I always wanted to be a scientist, and I always wanted to study space. Even as a young child, I was reading about space and space exploration as soon as I could read." PSI Senior Scientist Jordan Steckloff talks about what inspires him. Read the full Q&A buff.ly/daZanJo
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 31/07/2026
The 2026 PSI Retreat is providing a wonderful opportunity for PSI scientists and friends to interact and talk science!
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 30/07/2026
The 2026 PSI annual retreat is in full swing! Scientists, admin staff, family and friends are gathering at the Hacienda del Sol in Tucson.
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 29/07/2026
#JunoCam: This image captures the dynamic structures of the Northern Circumpolar Cyclones. It was taken on July 31, 2023 at 1:45 a.m. PDT (4:45 a.m. EDT) as the Juno spacecraft performed its 53rd close flyby of Jupiter. Credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS/Navaneeth Krishnan S
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