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. The GRFP… Read more
The planet Mars has no global magnetic field, although scientists believe it did have one at some point in the past. Previous studies suggest that when Mars’ global… Read more
A Northern Arizona University astronomer who studies the atmospheres of solar system worlds, exoplanets and brown dwarfs has been recognized for his academic leadership and the quality and innovation of his research. The Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) recently named Tyler Robinson, assistant professor in NAU’s Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, a 2021… Read more
A team of astronomers, including associate professor Chad Trujillo of Northern Arizona University’s Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, have confirmed a planetoid that is almost four times farther from the Sun than Pluto, making it the most distant object ever observed in our solar system. The planetoid, which has been nicknamed “Farfarout,” was first detected in 2018, and the team has now collected enough observations to pin down its orbit. The Minor Planet Center has now given… Read more
The Emirates Mars Mission, the first interplanetary exploration undertaken by an Arab nation, is scheduled to reach Mars’ orbit on February 9, 2021 at 8:41 a.m. MST (10:41 a.m. EST). The spacecraft will… Read more
After a year of preliminary design and several reviews, NASA recently confirmed its Lunar Trailblazer mission will proceed to the final design and build phase. Selected in June 2019 with planned flight system delivery in October 2022, the Lunar Trailblazer mission targets one of the most surprising discoveries of the decade: the presence of water on the Moon.
The mission is a collaboration led by Bethany Ehlmann,… Read more