Renamed OSIRIS-APEX, the extended mission will study Apophis, which will have a close encounter with Earth in 2029
Because of their potential to deepen our understanding of the solar system… Read more
Probe to study surface geology, composition; look for rings and satellites
On October 16, 2021, NASA launched the Lucy probe, starting its 12-year journey to the Trojan asteroids near the planet Jupiter in the outer solar system.
Expected to begin reaching its targets in 2027, the probe will fly by more asteroids than any other spacecraft in history, including one in the “main belt”… 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
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… 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
Scientists say Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is the only body in our solar system besides Earth with liquid on its surface. However, chemical elements behave very differently there in the extremely cold and dense atmosphere, with a temperature of minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, water, or H2O, forms Titan’s bedrock while methane… Read more