“We’re made of starstuff.” The famous line comes from Carl Sagan, astronomer, science communicator, and co-founder of The Planetary Society. It poetically addresses the fact that the elements that form our bodies come together in the hearts of stars. We celebrated Carl Sagan Day on Nov. 9 by exploring the science behind this iconic line. Pictured: A series of Hubble Space Telescope images of planet-forming disks around other stars. Image credit: ESA, NASA, et al.
Cast your vote for the Best of 2025. Our annual campaign to celebrate the last year in space is underway, and you can take part! Vote for your favorite space image, pick the best performance by a celestial object, and tell us which Planetary Society accomplishment made the biggest impact for you. Voting is open until the end of November, so be sure to cast your vote today!
Catch up on the latest from Planetary Radio. This week’s episode takes you to the TwitchCon 2025 convention to explore how livestreamers like Moohoodles are bringing space science to new audiences. The episode also features a Space Policy Update on Jared Isaacman’s renomination as NASA Administrator and celebrates the third anniversary of the LightSail 2 mission with Bruce Betts. You can also listen to the latest episode of Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition, which features a conversation with Lou Friedman, former executive director of The Planetary Society, about how the discovery of a possible biosignature at Cheyava Falls could revive political support for Mars Sample Return.
Coming up in The Planetary Society’s virtual book club: This month, book club members will be reading “The Little Book of Aliens,” an exploration of the biggest questions in our search for extraterrestrial life by astrophysicist Adam Frank. The book club is exclusive to Planetary Society members. Not yet a member? Join today.