A veteran of multiple NASA missions to Mars, Northern Arizona University planetary scientist Christopher Edwards will closely watch the launch of… Read more
NAU planetary scientist collaborates on first-ever Mars mission launched by Arab world
Christopher Edwards
NAU planetary scientist captures new images of Martian moon Phobos to help determine its origins
Christopher Edwards, assistant professor in NAU’s Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, just processed new images of the Martian moon Phobos that give scientists insight into the physical properties of the… Read more
One step closer to living on Mars: NAU scientists contribute to NASA’s “treasure map” of widespread water ice near planet’s surface
In anticipation of sending humans to Mars by 2033, NASA scientists are searching for suitable locations to land on the Red Planet. Ideally, these potential landing sites would have high scientific value for exploration while offering natural resources to sustain human… Read more
Think twice before moving to Mars—NAU planetary scientist refutes terraforming in NASA study
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Colonizing Mars as a backup planet for Earth has been a theme in both science fiction and popular science for decades, and NASA plans to send human explorers to the Red Planet within the next 20 years.
But how feasible is it for humans to explore or colonize Mars? With an average… Read more
Studying Mars on Earth: NAU scientist conducting astrobiological research in Mojave Desert
Much research in the field of astrobiology—the study of life in the universe—focuses on the habitability of extraterrestrial environments in our solar system and beyond. NASA’s Planetary Science and Technology from Analog Research (PSTAR) program sponsors research exploring the Earth’s extreme environments to develop a sound basis for conducting astrobiological research on other solar system bodies. By identifying,… Read more
NAU planetary scientist’s study suggests widespread presence of water on the Moon
NAU assistant professor of planetary science Christopher Edwards co-authored a paper recently published in Nature Geoscience that has generated interest among scientists in the field as well as in mainstream science news, such as Science Daily and Outer Places.
The researchers analyzed remote-sensing data from two lunar missions and concluded that water appears to be evenly spread across the surface of the moon, not… Read more