A satellite image from January 2019 shows launch pad 39A at Cape Canaveral, Florida. From there - on July 16, 1969 - a Saturn V rocket carrying the crew of Apollo 11 launched humanity's historic voyage to the moon.
Textures and patterns, from clumpy to straw-like, pop out of these images from the Cassini mission. "It’s like turning the power up a notch on what we could see in the rings," said a scientist.
Last week, the Mars Curiosity rover detected its largest-yet measurement of methane. It's exciting because microbial life is an important methane source on Earth (though methane can also be created in other ways).
Eleanor Imster has helped write and edit EarthSky since 1995. She was an integral part of the award-winning EarthSky radio series almost since it began until it ended in 2013. She and her husband live in Tennessee, where they enjoy guitar playing and singing. They have 2 grown sons.