The study of active asteroids is a relatively new field of solar system science, focusing on objects that have asteroid-like orbits but look more like comets, with visual characteristics such as tails.
Because finding an active asteroid is such a rare event, fewer than 30 of these solar system bodies… Read more
PhD student discovers that solar radiation could be a more important source of lunar iron nanoparticles than previously thought
Tiny iron nanoparticles unlike any found naturally on Earth are nearly everywhere on the Moon—and scientists are trying to understand why. A new study led by Northern Arizona University doctoral candidate Christian J. Tai Udovicic, in collaboration with associate professor Christopher Edwards, both of NAU’s Department of Astronomy and… Read more
Computer scientist and astroinformaticist Mike Gowanlock, an assistant professor at Northern Arizona University’s School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, was recently awarded a $411,964 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The award will support Gowanlock’s research in the emerging field of parallel computing architectures needed to process large volumes of data generated by major astronomical surveys, including the Legacy… Read more
Project ‘levels the playing field’ for exploration of galactic, stellar and solar system science through research conducted at Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile
As with most scientific disciplines, leaders in the field of astronomy are looking for ways to ensure that students from traditionally minoritized populations have ample opportunities to participate in… Read more
Funding will support new field-portable lab, help train next-generation analog scientists to ensure NAU becomes a leader in planetary analog science
NASA has selected Northern Arizona University assistant research professor Alicia Rutledge as one of only five early-career scientists in the country to receive funding through its… Read more
Six Northern Arizona University students received awards from the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), a National Science Foundation program that funds graduate work in STEM disciplines at institutions throughout the country.
Four current graduate students received the five-year award, as did two students who will graduate this semester and start Ph.D. programs in the fall.… Read more