LPL Spotlight Stories

Unknown Treasure Trove of Planets Found Hiding in Dust

Unknown Treasure Trove of Planets Found Hiding in Dust

The first unbiased survey of protoplanetary disks surrounding young stars in the Taurus star-forming region turned up a higher-than-expected number of disks with features suggesting nascent planets.
OSIRIS-REx Arrives at Asteroid Bennu

OSIRIS-REx Arrives at Asteroid Bennu

Since its launch on Sept. 8, 2016, OSIRIS-REx has spent two years catching up with asteroid Bennu on its orbit around the sun. The spacecraft's arrival at Bennu on Dec. 3 marks a major milestone, with the mission transitioning from flying toward the asteroid to orbiting around it.
We're at Bennu! What's Next?

We're at Bennu! What's Next?

The LPL-led OSIRIS-REx mission kicks into high gear while the spacecraft is on its final approach, closing in on asteroid Bennu and scheduled for arrival on Dec. 3. UA mission experts explain what comes next.
Christopher Walker's team successfully launched the Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory,

UA Ranked in Top 25 for Research Funding

The UA's strengths in physical sciences and NASA funding make it one of the top research universities in the country, according to the Higher Education Research and Development survey recently released by the NSF.
Ceres is a dwarf planet that orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter. In this image, Ahuna Mons can be seen in the bottom right of Ceres's profile.

Ceres Takes Life an Ice Volcano at a Time

By Emily Walla, NASA Intern/University Communications - September 14, 2018 Every year throughout its 4.5-billion-year life, ice volcanoes on the
For this animation, OSIRIS-REx image scientists combined five exposures of asteroid Bennu taken by the spacecraft’s PolyCam camera. At this distance, almost six times of that between the Earth and the moon, Bennu is just a point source, indistinguishable from a star other than the way it moves against the star field in the background. This will change dramatically once the spacecraft comes closer and rendezvous with the asteroid in December. (Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)

OSIRIS-REx Captures First Glimpse of Asteroid Bennu

By Daniel Stolte, University Communications, and Erin Morton, OSIRIS-REx - August 24, 2018 After an almost two-year journey through space
"I hope there is a massive coronal mass ejection that happens during the mission," says Joe Giacalone (left), "…or maybe at the end of the mission." Kristopher Klein (right) is excited about the opportunity to go to a "fundamentally new" region of space – a star.

LPL Scientists Gear Up to 'Touch the Sun'

By Daniel Stolte, University Communications - August 8, 2018 Look at any image of the Earth taken from space and
Planet-Forming Disks May Resemble Solar System 5 Billion Years Ago

Planet-Forming Disks May Resemble Solar System 5 Billion Years Ago

By Emily Litvack, UA Research, Discovery and Innovation - June 14, 2018 To make a planet, you need stuff. Protoplanetary
UA Encourages Visually Impaired Teens in STEM

UA Encourages Visually Impaired Teens in STEM

By Alexis Blue, University Communications - June 13, 2018 Maggie Lindsay's long, white cane swishes back and forth through the
Richard Kowalski of the UA-operated Catalina Sky Survey, talks about the discovery of 2018 LA, the small asteroid that exploded over southern Africa on June 2.

What it Takes to Discover Small Rocks in Space

By Daniel Stolte, University Communications - June 6, 2018 Once every month, on average, somewhere on Earth a fireball appears