LPL Spotlight Stories

Jupiter’s Shape Redefined by the Juno Mission

A new study involving LPL Professor Emeritus William Hubbard updates our understanding of the shape of Jupiter.

Lunar & Planetary Lab Director Mark Marley Awarded Prestigious Lecar Prize

Endowed by the estate of astrophysicist Myron S. Lecar, the prize honors exceptional contributions to the study of extrasolar planets and theoretical astrophysics.

Kissing the Sun: U of A Researchers Unravel Mysteries of the Solar Wind

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.

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 long periods of time.

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.

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.

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.

U of A's Mars Camera Gets Close Look at Comet from Interstellar Space

HiRISE, a LPL-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.

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 veritable gold mine of scientific clues.

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 Lunar and Planetary Laboratory led OSIRIS-REx mission from asteroid Bennu.