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On the evening of Oct. 28, 2025, the Planetary Science Institute hosted a Halloween-themed star party. Attendees were invited to learn more about the Institute and the exciting science conducted here. They were also welcome…
Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Darby Dyar was presented the 2025 Roebling Medal by the Mineralogy Society of America. “Dyar is internationally renowned for exceptional contributions to research in mineralogy and igneous and metamorphic petrology,…
During the government shutdown on Monday, Oct. 6, a cohort of Planetary Science Institute science staff joined hundreds of others on Capitol Hill for the Save NASA Science Day of Action organized by the Planetary…
Along the southern rim of Mars’ Hellas basin is a large crater, about 75 miles wide (over 120 kilometers), called Barnard. In a new paper, researchers have mapped it and the surrounding area in high…
About PSI
The Planetary Science Institute is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to Solar System exploration. It is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, where it was founded in 1972.
PSI scientists are involved in numerous NASA and international missions, the study of Mars and other planets, the Moon, asteroids, comets, interplanetary dust, impact physics, the origin of the Solar System, extra-solar planet formation, dynamics, the rise of life, and other areas of research.
They conduct fieldwork on all continents around the world. They are also actively involved in science education and public outreach through school programs, children’s books, popular science books and art.
PSI scientists are based in 32 states, the District of Columbia and several international locations.
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Sci Art
PSI Senior Scientist Darby Dyar made this quilt in 2018 for her friends and colleagues, Molly McCanta and Brad Thomson. “I’ve done research on planetary topics with both of them for more than 20 years,” she said. “That year, they finally got jobs in the same place (University of Tennessee), and Molly was granted tenure, so I wanted to make something to celebrate those big life events. So that’s how this quilt came to be. I have been collecting planetary fabrics for some time, and this quilt seemed like a great use for them!”
