NASA Solar System
@NASASolarSystem
Join us as we explore the worlds of our solar system.
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On Nov. 17, celebrate this once-in-human-history moment by creating a wave of golden light.
Shine bright for Voyager! Here’s how to join in:
No other traveler has ever journeyed so far from home.
Voyager 1 is about to become the first human-made object to reach a distance of one light-day from Earth, or about 16 billion miles. ½
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Your next trip: a flight to another world. 🪐
Send your name aboard NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s largest moon Titan and get a personalized boarding pass for the journey.
Become a Dragonflyer today:
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Our Hera spacecraft can now see Didymos and Dimorphos as two separate asteroids!
Coming closer, it will study the effects of NASA's 2022 DART impact and help advance asteroid deflection as a planetary defence technique.
The first detailed images of Dimorphos are expected on 25 November.
Follow Hera’s journey with the Hera Space Companion 👉
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No tricks, just a celestial treat. 🌕🎃
The Hunter’s Moon rises tonight, bringing a little extra glow to Halloween week! This full Moon gets its name from the time of year when hunters traditionally used the moonlight to track game and prepare for winter. Rising around sunset, the Moon will illuminate the night sky, weather permitting. Don’t forget to look up tonight!
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We’ve known since the Apollo missions that dust can present challenges for explorers on other worlds.
Now, scientists are using instruments on the Perseverance rover to understand the risks of dust on Mars and find clues about how to protect future crews on the Red Planet. ½
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The study is based on analysis of sample spacesuit materials that were placed on the rover to help prepare for future exploration. Learn more:
The sunshade for the NEO Surveyor mission is ready for its day in the sun! 😎
NASA's Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor will hunt for potentially hazardous asteroids and comets that cross Earth’s path. ½
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The Moon has impeccable timing.
October's full Moon rises tonight, bringing a little moonlit magic to the start of Halloween week.
The Moon reaches peak illumination at 12:12am ET (0412 UTC) on Oct. 26. Don't forget to look up!
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On Oct. 24, 2001, NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft slipped into orbit around the Red Planet.
25 years later, it's still conducting science and relaying messages from the rovers, making it the longest-operating orbiter ever at a planet beyond Earth. ½
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Ready for an Artemis update?
Tune in Friday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. ET (1800 UTC) to hear our latest progress and accelerated plans for Artemis lunar missions.
Watch live:
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The wheels are in motion for Moon Base!
From robotic rovers to lunar terrain vehicles, our latest update highlights progress on the mobility systems that will support early Moon Base development and Artemis exploration.
See what's rolling:
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Two scientists. One unforgettable view of our planet.
What's it like to see the Artemis II Earthrise image through the eyes of a lunar scientist? How about an oceanographer? Jacob Richardson & Ivona Cetinic are here to tell us.
Explore Artemis II data:
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The Orionid meteor shower, created by tiny pieces of debris from Halley's Comet, peaks on the night of Oct. 21 - 22. Your best chance to see them comes a few hours before dawn, after the bright Moon sets. Find a dark location, give your eyes time to adjust, and look up.
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Have a research idea that could advance NASA science? 🔬
NASA plans to release ROSES-27 by January 2027, with over 50 research opportunities spanning astrophysics, Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics, space biology and more.
Start planning:
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The MMX spacecraft carries two pieces of NASA hardware: The MEGANE instrument will be key to revealing the origin of Mars’s moons by measuring their elemental composition.
The P-Sampler demonstration will advance capabilities for surface material acquisition in low gravity. ½
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How do you get a probe ready for the heat of Venus? Put it in a furnace.🔥
From Aug. 28 to Sept. 10, a model of our DAVINCI probe went through six cycles to 869°F (465°C), each matched to its planned hour-long descent.
It came out unscathed:
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Get ready to wave to an asteroid 👋🪨
In 2029, asteroid Apophis will swing by Earth, passing safely about 20,000 miles from the surface. The OSIRIS-APEX mission will meet up with the asteroid shortly after, to map the surface and study its chemical makeup.
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The seasons are changing, and the Harvest Moon is here. 🌕🍂
This is the full Moon that occurs closest to the fall equinox.
Watch for it rising in the east after sunset on Saturday.
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See what the asteroid samples have revealed so far, and learn more about OSIRIS-APEX, the follow-on to OSIRIS-REx, which will study the asteroid Apophis after its rare close encounter with Earth in 2029.
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Stuck the landing!
Three years ago today, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft released a sample capsule at the edge of Earth’s atmosphere to land perfectly upright in the Utah desert.
The capsule held a record amount of pristinely captured rocks and dust from asteroid Bennu. Scientists have studied the extraterrestrial sample, learning it contains all the ingredients key to life.
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