UArizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory

The biggest planet in our solar system is a little bit smaller and a little bit flatter than we thought. A new study involving LPL Professor Emeritus William Hubbard updates our understanding of the shape of Jupiter. lpl.arizona.edu/news/2026/ju...

More information about Dr. Fink's life and work is shared here: lpl.arizona.edu/about/memori...

Galaxy Slam | Arizona vs BYU | Feb. 18 YouTube video by The University of Arizona

Galaxy Slam takes place February 14-21 and features LPL Associate Professors Kris Klein and Ty Robinson! www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhxf...

Kudos to LPL's Head and Director, Dr. Mark Marley, for being awarded the 2026 Lecar Prize! science.arizona.edu/news/lunar-p...

Kissing the sun: U of A researchers unravel mysteries of the solar wind A University of Arizona-led research team has measured the dynamics and ever-changing "shell" of hot gas from where the solar wind originates.

Using data collected by NASA's Parker Solar Probe during its closest approach to the sun, LPL Associate Professor Kris Klein and his research team measured the dynamics and ever-changing "shell" of hot gas from where the solar wind originates. news.arizona.edu/news/kissing...

Pandora, a keen-eyed satellite built to study exoplanets, takes flight After clearing its last hurdle on its way to space, the University of Arizona-led Pandora satellite mission launched into orbit, where it will study at least 20 exoplanets and their host stars over lo...

Lead by LPL Professor Daniel Apai and his team, the Pandora satellite will provide in-depth study of at least 20 known planets orbiting distant stars to determine the composition of their atmospheres – especially the presence of hazes, clouds and water. news.arizona.edu/news/pandora...

Good luck to LPL's Professor Daniel Apai and his team leading the Pandora mission! The mission launches this Sunday, January 11 at 6:19am Tucson time. Launch coverage details can be found at the link below. www.spacex.com/launches/twi...

Life on lava: How microbes colonize new habitats Taking advantage of a "natural laboratory" in Iceland, a research team from the University of Arizona studied how microbes colonize fresh lava flows as soon as they cooled.

While nature's resilience to natural disasters has long been recognized, not much is known about how organisms colonize brand-new habitats for the first time. A new study led by LPL scientists provides glimpses into a poorly understood process. news.arizona.edu/news/life-la...

Kudos to @uahirise.bsky.social for taking its 100,000th image! www.nasa.gov/missions/mar...

Congratulations to Nathan Hadland, who successfully defended his Ph.D. Dissertation, Evaluating the Habitability of Basaltic Volcanic Environments in Iceland as an Analog for Potential Life on Mars.

Nathan is with his advisors, Dr. Solange Duhamel and Dr. Christopher Hamilton.

A new look at TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized, habitable-zone exoplanet Recently reported methane signatures detected by the James Webb Space Telescope could be a hint to it potentially harboring life, but University of Arizona researcher Sukrit Ranjan urges caution.

Of the seven Earth-sized worlds orbiting the red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, one planet in particular has attracted the attention of scientists, including LPL Assistant Professor Sukrit Ranjan. news.arizona.edu/news/new-loo...

Thank you Senator Mark Kelly for supporting NASA projects, including the LPL-led OSIRIS-REx mission!

OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft takes selfie with Earth during flyby The spacecraft of the U of A-led OSIRIS-APEX mission performed a "slingshot" maneuver around Earth as part of its journey to catch up with its mission target, asteroid Apophis.

The OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Apophis Explorer) spacecraft swung by Earth within 2,136 miles before heading into deep space for another trip around the sun. news.arizona.edu/news/osiris-...

U of A's Mars camera gets close look at comet from interstellar space HiRISE, a U of A-led Mars imaging camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, found itself closer than any other imaging tool to comet 3I/ATLAS as it passed through the solar system.

LPLs HiRISE camera gets a close look at comet from interstellar space. news.arizona.edu/news/u-mars-...

Congratulations to the LPL's HiRISE team for successfully imaging interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS!

TONIGHT! Don't miss the last LPL Evening Lecture of 2025!

Space Drafts #111 is 7:30p this Wed. @ Zerai's Intl Bar (2725 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ)! We have UA grad students Anna Taylor, on how exoplanets lose their atmospheres, and Maria Mutz, on why neutron stars are so cool! If you can't make it in person we are also streaming at bit.ly/SpaceDrafts111.

One week from tonight don't miss Dr. Solange Duhamel speak at the last LPL Evening Lecture of the semester.

Join us for the last LPL Evening Lecture of 2025! Dr. Solange Duhamel is speaking on Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00pm at the Kuiper Space Sciences building in Tucson or you can register to join online. www.lpl.arizona.edu/calendar/eve...

TONIGHT! Don't miss this LPL Evening Lecture featuring a talk by Dr. Jack Holt!

Only one week left until the next LPL Evening Lecture! Make sure it's on your calendar! More info: www.lpl.arizona.edu/events/lpl-e...

Moon's biggest impact crater made a radioactive splash New analyses of the largest impact crater on the moon reveal unexpected insights into its tumultuous past. They also suggest that once astronauts return to the moon, they will have access to a veritab...

When astronauts land near the moon's south pole as part of NASA's Artemis program, they likely will find themselves in an unexpected treasure trove of clues that could help scientists better understand how Earth's only natural satellite came to be. news.arizona.edu/news/moons-b...

Make sure the next LPL Evening Lecture is on your calendar! On October 22, Dr. Jack Holt will present "Studying Earth's Glaciers to Unlock Martian Mysteries." We encourage in-person attendees to come early to see special exhibits! www.lpl.arizona.edu/events/lpl-e...

Kudos to LPL Assistant Professor DellaGiustina! 🎉 More information about this honor can be found here: aas.org/press/aas-na...

TONIGHT! Stop by to listen to Dr. Christopher Hamilton's evening lecture. Guests can come early to see some special exhibits as well!

There's only one week until the first 2025 LPL Evening Lecture with Dr. Christopher Hamilton! We encourage in-person attendees to come early to see special exhibits!

The application to join the LPL Planetary Sciences PhD program is now open! Visit lpl.arizona.edu/admissions for more information.

Asteroid Bennu is a time capsule of materials bearing witness to its origin and transformation over billions of years Three new papers reveal yet more secrets from samples collected by the University of Arizona-led OSIRIS-REx mission from asteroid Bennu.

Asteroid Bennu – the target of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, led by LPL – is a mixture of materials from throughout, and beyond, our solar system. Over billions of years, its uniquely varied contents have been transformed by water and the space environment. news.arizona.edu/news/asteroi...

Dr. Hamilton is the first in our "Space on Earth" LPL Evening Lectures for Fall 2025! Come listen to Dr. Hamilton speak on "Mars on Earth: Testing Tomorrow's Mars Missions in Iceland." More information can be found here: www.lpl.arizona.edu/calendar/eve...

Please join us in congratulating Samantha Moruzzi, who today successfully defended her Ph.D. Dissertation, Geophysical Evolution of Sputnik Basin on Pluto.

Congratulations, Samantha!

📸: Samantha is pictured with her advisor, Dr. Jeff Andrews-Hanna.