LPL Spotlight Stories

Researchers will use all four instruments aboard the James Webb Space Telescope to study the three most distant quasars yet discovered. They will obtain new measurements of the masses of their central supermassive black holes, detail the stars and composition of their host galaxies, and observe nearby galaxies to learn more about their “neighborhoods” in the early universe. NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

Scouting Ancient Supermassive Black Holes

A team of researchers led by University of Arizona astronomers will use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to examine three active supermassive black holes, their host galaxies and their neighborhoods to better detail these distant objects and the conditions of the early universe.

 The James Webb Space Telescope successfully launched the morning of Dec. 25 from the ELA-3 Launch Zone of Europe's Spaceport at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. NASA

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Successfully Begins its Journey to Space

UArizona led the design and development of the Near-Infrared Camera onboard the James Webb Space Telescope. Once Webb has successfully unfolded and parked in its outpost past the moon, the UArizona instrument will align the telescope's 18 mirror segments and serve as the Webb's primary imager for at least the next 5 1/2 years.
Marcia and George Rieke. Chris Richards/University of Arizona

Meet the Husband-and-Wife Team that Helped Get Infrared Astronomy off the Ground

Astronomers Marcia and George Rieke helped the field of infrared astronomy flourish into a powerful discipline. They are key players in NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

 Artist’s impression of HAT-P-11b, an exoplanet orbiting its host star at just just one-twentieth of the distance from the Earth to the sun. Denis Bajram/University of Geneva

Astronomers Detect Signature of Magnetic Field on an Exoplanet

Researchers have identified the first signature of a magnetic field surrounding a planet outside of our solar system. Earth's magnetic field acts as a shield against energetic particles from the sun known as the solar wind. Magnetic fields could play similar roles on other planets.
Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) is seen next to globular star cluster M3 in this image taken by Adam Block at UArizona's Mount Lemmon Sky Center. Adam Block/Steward Observatory/University of Arizona

Here's How to See Comet Leonard, According to the UArizona Researcher Who Discovered It

The brightest comet of the year, named "Leonard" after the UArizona researcher who discovered it, is paying one last visit to Earth's neighborhood this month, before leaving the solar system forever.

Near-Earth Asteroid Might be a Lost Fragment of the Moon

A team of UArizona-led researchers think that the near-Earth asteroid Kamo`oalewa might actually be a miniature moon.
Artist's Concept of OSIRIS-REx's return to Earth with a sample from asteroid Bennu in September 2023. NASA/Goddard/CILabs

UArizona Ranked in Top 10 for Space Science on Latest US News Best Global Universities List

The University of Arizona has once again been recognized as one of the world's top 100 research institutions by U.S. News & World Report.

 OSIRIS-REx mission scientists thought sampling a piece of Bennu would be like a walk on the beach, but the surprisingly craggy surface proved to be more of a challenge. NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

Highly Porous Rocks Responsible for Bennu's Surprisingly Craggy Surface

Using data from NASA OSIRIS-REx mission, a University of Arizona-led team of scientists concluded that asteroids with highly porous rocks, such as Bennu, should lack fine-grained material on their surfaces.
An artist impression of a close flyby of the metal-rich near-Earth asteroid 1986 DA. Astronomers using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility have confirmed that the asteroid is made of 85% metal. Addy Graham/University of Arizona

'Mini Psyches' Give Insights into Mysterious Metal-Rich Near-Earth Asteroids

New research into metal-rich asteroids reveals information about the origins and compositions of these rare bodies that could one day be mined.

 Artist's illustration of two massive objects colliding.

Earth and Venus Grew up as Rambunctious Planets

What doesn't stick comes around: Using machine learning and simulations of giant impacts, researchers at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory found that the planets residing in the inner solar systems were likely born from repeated hit-and-run collisions, challenging conventional models of planet formation.