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        <title>The Planetary Society Articles</title>
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        <description>The latest stories from The Planetary Society, featuring humanity's quest to explore worlds, find life, and defend Earth.</description>
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        <pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 05:01:58 -0700</pubDate>
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            <title>On the launchpad</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/on-the-launchpad</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/on-the-launchpad</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[NASA launches a new plan, Artemis II returns to the launchpad, and a new rocket gets a launch with a view.]]></description>
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            <title>3 charts that show how Artemis compares to Apollo</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/three-charts-that-show-how-nasas-artemis-compares-to-apollo</link>
            <pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:34:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/three-charts-that-show-how-nasas-artemis-compares-to-apollo</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[How do funding, workforce, and robotic lunar exploration compare between NASA&#039;s two lunar exploration programs?]]></description>
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            <title>&#039;Ignition&#039;: A new series of NASA initiatives</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/ignition-new-nasa-initiatives</link>
            <pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:34:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/ignition-new-nasa-initiatives</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[On March 24, 2026, NASA leadership detailed new plans for the agency, involving lunar missions, Mars, and more.]]></description>
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            <title>Builders and boulders</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/builders-and-boulders</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/builders-and-boulders</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Spacecraft are being built, and boulders are solving puzzles.]]></description>
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            <title>Meet Jennifer Vaughn</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/meet-jennifer-vaughn</link>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/meet-jennifer-vaughn</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Planetary Society CEO Jennifer Vaughn answers questions about her history with the organization, her vision for its future, her love of space, and more.]]></description>
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            <title>Beyond the unknown: The coming Kuiper belt revolution</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/beyond-the-unknown</link>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/beyond-the-unknown</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Discoveries about the worlds of the Kuiper belt could revolutionize our understanding of the Solar System and its ancient past.]]></description>
        </item>
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            <title>Messengers of ice and time</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/messengers-of-ice-and-time</link>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/messengers-of-ice-and-time</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Comets are ancient relics from the Solar System&#039;s formation that may have delivered water and the building blocks of life to early Earth.]]></description>
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            <title>How do you define a planet?</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/how-do-you-define-a-planet</link>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/how-do-you-define-a-planet</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[As our ability to study space has improved, our definitions of planets have evolved.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The view from the top</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/the-view-from-the-top</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/the-view-from-the-top</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has a great view of the Cosmos — and of the Earth below.]]></description>
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            <title>Why do some planets have rings and others don&#039;t?</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/why-do-planets-have-rings</link>
            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 08:49:00 -0700</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/why-do-planets-have-rings</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[The giant planets of our Solar System all have rings, as do some dwarf planets and even asteroids. So why don’t Mercury, Venus, Earth, or Mars?]]></description>
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            <title>Stellar death and an Artemis overhaul</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/stellar-death-and-an-artemis-overhaul</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/stellar-death-and-an-artemis-overhaul</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[A planetary nebula teaches us about how stars die, and a new Artemis architecture changes our plans for Mars.]]></description>
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            <title>Chang’e-7: China’s water-hunting lunar south pole mission</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/change-7</link>
            <pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:04:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/change-7</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Chang’e‑7 is China’s mission to seek out water ice on the Moon.]]></description>
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            <title>The impact of impacts</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/the-impact-of-impacts</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/the-impact-of-impacts</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Collisions are often the reason things are the way they are in the Solar System today.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>What is a &quot;planetary alignment&quot;?</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/what-is-a-planetary-alignment</link>
            <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:36:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/what-is-a-planetary-alignment</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[What to expect when multiple planets appear in the sky together.]]></description>
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            <title>That’s a first!</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/thats-a-first</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/thats-a-first</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[From the first lunar landing to a leader’s first week in a new job, there are lots of firsts to celebrate this week.]]></description>
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            <title>Historical NASA Budget Dataset</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/space-policy/nasa-budget/historical</link>
            <pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 14:47:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/space-policy/nasa-budget/historical</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[A comprehensive, open dataset of NASA budget requests, congressional appropriations, and workforce data from 1958 to the present.]]></description>
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            <title>An interplanetary team effort</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/an-interplanetary-team-effort</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/an-interplanetary-team-effort</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Although spacecraft may be isolated in space, they’re far from alone.]]></description>
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            <title>Setting our sights</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/setting-our-sights</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/setting-our-sights</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[The future of space exploration is right around the corner.]]></description>
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            <title>The Artemis II mission: What to expect</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/artemis-ii-what-to-expect</link>
            <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/artemis-ii-what-to-expect</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Artemis II will send humans back to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, with four astronauts on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. Here’s what to expect.]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title>NASA is funded. Now what?</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/nasa-is-funded-now-what</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:23:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/nasa-is-funded-now-what</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[With the upheaval of 2025 behind us, here&#039;s what we&#039;re looking for in space policy this year.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Better together</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/better-together</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/better-together</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Martian travel buddies, synchronized Sun science, and a proven leadership team.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The next chapter begins</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/the-next-chapter-begins</link>
            <pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/the-next-chapter-begins</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Longtime Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye is handing over leadership of the organization to take on a new role as Chief Ambassador.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Comebacks, curveballs, and countdowns</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/comebacks-curveballs-countdowns</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/comebacks-curveballs-countdowns</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Artemis II rolls out to the launchpad, two troubled space missions return safely to Earth, and a Mars mission is declared likely lost.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>NASA has lost a spacecraft around Mars. Is MAVEN gone for good?</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/nasa-has-lost-a-spacecraft-around-mars</link>
            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/nasa-has-lost-a-spacecraft-around-mars</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[A pioneering spacecraft has gone missing around Mars, and NASA says the mission is probably unrecoverable.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>A new hope</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/a-new-hope</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/a-new-hope</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[With NASA’s budget saved, there’s a lot to be hopeful about.]]></description>
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            <title>You just saved NASA&#039;s budget</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/advocacy-success-fy2026-nasa-budget</link>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:19:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/advocacy-success-fy2026-nasa-budget</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Here&#039;s what Congress rejected of the draconian cuts faced by NASA in FY 2026.]]></description>
        </item>
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            <title>On cloud nine</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/on-cloud-nine</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/on-cloud-nine</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: a new celestial object and some hopeful news for NASA.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>A new year around the Sun</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/a-new-year-around-the-sun</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2026 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/a-new-year-around-the-sun</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Looking forward to the space missions, celestial events, and discoveries of 2026.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Calendar of space events 2026</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/calendar-of-space-events-2026</link>
            <pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 06:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/calendar-of-space-events-2026</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Space missions, rocket launches, and celestial events are coming our way in 2026.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Ending 2025 with a bang</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/ending-2025-with-a-bang</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/ending-2025-with-a-bang</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[We’re finishing the year strong, thanks to amazing space images, fantastic discoveries, and phenomenal support from people like you.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Rogue worlds and the boundaries of planethood</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/rogue-worlds-and-the-boundaries-of-planethood</link>
            <pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 06:49:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/rogue-worlds-and-the-boundaries-of-planethood</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Exploring rogue planets, how they form, and how they expand our conception of what counts as a planet.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Pictures, pixels, and picks</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/pictures-pixels-and-picks</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2025 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/pictures-pixels-and-picks</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Great pictures of a planet and a comet, and great picks from a year of our virtual book club.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The Planetary Society&#039;s 2025 book club review</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/2025-book-club-review</link>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:21:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/2025-book-club-review</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Looking back on our book club picks from the last twelve months.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Which stars could host alien life?</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/which-stars-could-host-alien-life</link>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:28:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/which-stars-could-host-alien-life</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Every star in the Universe creates a different environment for the worlds around it.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>How do you fit the Solar System on a shirt?</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/how-do-you-fit-the-solar-system-on-a-shirt</link>
            <pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 06:34:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/how-do-you-fit-the-solar-system-on-a-shirt</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Our newest member perk isn&#039;t just a cool piece of apparel — it&#039;s a reflection of the science of design.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Mostly monochromatic</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/mostly-monochromatic</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2025 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/mostly-monochromatic</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Black-and-white space images and the science that goes with them.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The images of the Universe put at risk by proposed NASA cuts</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/endangered-views-of-the-cosmos</link>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:16:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/endangered-views-of-the-cosmos</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Cosmic views put at risk by proposed NASA cuts]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The year in pictures 2025</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/the-year-in-pictures-2025</link>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:16:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/the-year-in-pictures-2025</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[The most memorable and impactful images from space exploration in 2025.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Saving NASA science: Reflections on a historic year for space advocacy</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/saving-nasa-science</link>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:16:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/saving-nasa-science</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Reflections on a historic year for space advocacy.]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title>Festive light displays</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/festive-light-displays</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/festive-light-displays</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[If you enjoy the lights people string on their houses at this time of year, you’ll love galaxy clusters.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The Planetary Society&#039;s Best of 2025 Winners</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/best-of-2025-winners</link>
            <pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:44:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/best-of-2025-winners</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[The official results of The Planetary Society&#039;s Best of 2025 voting campaign.]]></description>
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            <title>Short and thankful</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/short-and-thankful</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 28 Nov 2025 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/short-and-thankful</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[A mini-Downlink to reflect on gratitude.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The Planetary Society’s 2025 space gift guide</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/2025-space-gift-guide</link>
            <pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/2025-space-gift-guide</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[A collection of space-themed gifts for people of all ages.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Awestruck by awesomeness</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/awestruck-by-awesomeness</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/awestruck-by-awesomeness</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Space exploration gives us so many opportunities to experience, celebrate, and cultivate feelings of awe.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>STEP Grant-funded projects</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/sci-tech/step-grants/past-step-grant-winners</link>
            <pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:59:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/sci-tech/step-grants/past-step-grant-winners</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Overviews and updates from projects that have been awarded The Planetary Society&#039;s STEP Grants.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Revisiting NASA funding as the government reopens</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/revisiting-nasa-funding-as-the-government-reopens</link>
            <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:15:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/revisiting-nasa-funding-as-the-government-reopens</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[With the U.S. government reopened and funded through Jan. 30, Congress is back to work on deciding how much to invest in federal agencies for fiscal year (FY) 2026, including NASA. Here&#039;s where things stand, and what to expect.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>2025 Impact Report</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/about/our-impact/2025-impact-report</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:09:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/about/our-impact/2025-impact-report</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[In 2025, The Planetary Society advanced its mission to empower the world’s citizens to advocate for space science and exploration. Through advocacy, education, science, and global collaboration, we championed the scientific exploration of space during a year that tested and proved the strength of our movement.]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title>Putting the pieces together</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/putting-the-pieces-together</link>
            <pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/the-downlink/putting-the-pieces-together</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[From data to human-forming elements to LEGO pieces, it’s just a matter of putting it all together.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Charitable deduction updates for 2025 &amp; 2026</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/charitable-deduction-updates-2025-2026</link>
            <pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 10:32:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/charitable-deduction-updates-2025-2026</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Important updates on how U.S. taxpayers can claim deductions on their taxes for charitable contributions.]]></description>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>“We’re made of starstuff.” What does that mean?</title>
            <link>https://www.planetary.org/articles/were-made-of-starstuff-what-does-that-mean</link>
            <pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2025 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
            <guid>https://www.planetary.org/articles/were-made-of-starstuff-what-does-that-mean</guid>
            <description><![CDATA[Carl Sagan&#039;s famous quote is more than just poetic — it&#039;s true.]]></description>
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