We’ve been sending up exploratory missions (mostly unmnanned) through our solar system for quite some time — they are so routine that there generally isn’t much news when they go up. Unless something fails. We forget that scientists and engineers are working daily to discover more about the planets and other bodies close to us and that they are still making jaw-dropping discoveries. The October edition of Smithsonian Magazine has an article about the very high quality photos that are coming out of these expeditions, which are themselves jaw-dropping:
Photo of Saturn from Cassini showing new rings
Cracks and folds on the ice-covered Saturnian moon Enceladus
Two moons of Saturn
SUn Erupts in flares from ultraviolet telescope
Mars Rover captures picture of crater wall
There’s more at the link of these planets, the sun, and Mercury and Jupiter — just click on the box on the right to see the slide show