After more than 11 incredible years in orbit, NASA has officially bid farewell to the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) spacecraft.

#maven #mars #spaceexploration #marsmission #astronomy #planetaryscience #spacelaunch #redplanet #deepspace

#PPOD: This image, taken with the SPHERE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows a disc of material around the young star AB Aurigae, where planets might be forming. Similar observations over four years show the disc rotating around the star. The image to the right has been processed to highlight certain features of the disc, such as spiral arms and radial shadows cast by dense clumps of material. Credit: ESO/A. Boccaletti et al.

#planetaryscience #space #science

#PPOD: This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image features the Batagaika Crater in Siberia. This is the biggest permafrost crater in the world, caused by melting permafrost and also known as a ‘mega-slump’. From above, the collapsed terrain resembles a tadpole or a stingray, with near-symmetrical ‘fins’ and a ‘tail’ pointing northeast. The crater (lower right) is roughly 100 m deep and 1 km long, but is growing at around 30 m per year. Credit: Copernicus Sentinel data, processed by ESA

#planetaryscience

Starter packs for geosciences, astronomy and physics (partly Germany-centric):

Earth and Geoscience: https://fedidevs.com/s/OTk1/ by @pikarl

Astronomy and Space: https://fedidevs.com/s/NjA2/

Physics: https://fedidevs.com/s/ODg2/

As I find I am running into limits with pinned posts, I've decided to consolidate three starter packs I like to recommend into this one single post. Enjoy!

#FollowFriday #StarterPacks #Science #Physics #Astrodon #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Geosciences #Geology #EarthSciences #PlanetaryScience

#PPOD: NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, coming within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. During the flyby, it took this image and others. This representative color image, captured by Psyche’s multispectral imager instrument, features the double-ring crater Huygens and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

#space #science #planetaryscience

Check out our new #PlanetaryScience Jobs website

https://jobs.planetary-research.org/

and its associated Mastodon account

@planetary_research_jobs

Its free to use, and also free to add announcements! We are still making some changes, so feedback is welcome. We'll make a proper announcement in about a week.

Good Morning, all,

Cool use of magnets on Martian rovers:

https://youtu.be/eOTXZNqwbek?si=MCE7lBYTUArTnoea

Guessing #JPL couldn't fit an additional option on the robot arm - a feather duster.

#NASA #SpaceExploration
#Space #PlanetaryScience
#Curiosity #Perseverance

Further on Martian maghemite:

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20050174609/downloads/20050174609.pdf

That dust on Mars is magnetic and dust on Earth is not must prove Martians do not exist - isn't dust on Earth mostly dried skin that's flaked off human beings?

#NonSequiturOfTheWeek

METEORITE QUESTIONS, an ongoing thread. 🧵

I am a meteorite collector, dealer, and hunter with 20 years of experience. I have worked with numerous universities and scientific institutions.👨‍🔬

Ask me anything about meteorites and get an informed answer free of AI bullshit.

If you have a question, post it here in the replies. No matter how old this thread is, I will reply.

#meteor #meteoryt #meteorit #meteoriten #meteorite #meteorites #meteoritics #PlanetaryScience #geology #AMA

A new roadmap explores whether Mars could be terraformed: from silica-aerogel greenhouses to orbital mirrors and engineered aerosols.

Each step could warm the planet, but needs materials and industry beyond today’s reach.

🔗 https://phys.org/news/2026-04-terraform-mars-scientific-roadmap-lays.html

#Mars #Terraforming #SpaceExploration #PlanetaryScience #ClimateEngineering