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Explore Planetary and
Solar Systems Science at LPL
Welcome to the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
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Academic Programs at LPL
Interdisciplinary coursework, access to world-class instruments and laboratories, and diverse research opportunities.
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Research Focus Areas
Pursuing interdisciplinary research spanning the breadth and depth of planetary science.
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Spacecraft Missions and Instrumentation
Exploring the Universe as investigators on spacecraft mission and instrumentation teams.
LPL in the Spotlight
![Microscope image of a dark Bennu particle](/sites/default/files/styles/az_card_image/public/spotlight/story/bennu_original_ingredients_06262024.jpg?itok=Nmidpnfa)
Bennu Holds the Solar System's 'Original Ingredients,' Might have Been Part of a Wet World
OSIRIS-REx sample scientists took a deep dive into the rocks and dust returned from asteroid Bennu. They found that the sample is rich in carbon, nitrogen and organic compounds - essential components for life as we know it.![Sample of Bennu](/sites/default/files/styles/az_card_image/public/spotlight/story/Bennu_Sample_Portion_12202023v4.jpg?itok=K1KGapc-)
Sweating The Small Stuff: UArizona Scientists Have Begun To Study Samples From Asteroid Bennu
At the university's Kuiper-Arizona Laboratory for Astromaterials Analysis (K-ALFAA), a suite of instruments allows researchers to study the particles collected by the OSIRIS-REx mission the down to the atomic scale.![OSIRIS-APEX approaches asteroid Apophis](/sites/default/files/styles/az_card_image/public/spotlight/story/apex_new_journey_01082024.jpg?itok=aBvc1st0)
UArizona-led Asteroid Sampling Mission's New Journey: OSIRIS-APEX
Under the leadership of the University of Arizona's Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina, the former OSIRIS-REx spacecraft sets off on a journey to study asteroid Apophis and take advantage of the asteroid's 2029 flyby of Earth.Image
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Public Education and Outreach
Faculty, staff, and students engage with diverse communities.
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