LPL Spotlight Stories

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.

An Emissary from Interstellar Space

Discovered only a week ago, comet 3I/ATLAS is only the third known visitor from outside the solar system. LPL's Catalina Sky Survey Director Carson Fuls explains what makes the comet special - and why we can only guess where it came from.

U of A Earns Top Marks in Space Science, Geosciences, Water Resources in New US News Global Ranking

The U of A earned its best ranking in the space science category, rising four spots to No. 4 globally and No. 2 among U.S. public universities.

Revealing the Lives of Planet-Forming Disks

New observations of 30 planet-forming disks - the birthplaces of planets around stars - reveal in greater detail than ever how gas and dust behave over time and shape the evolution of exoplanet systems.

Percolating Clues: A New Way to Build Planetary Cores

Molten sulfide can migrate and coalesce within a solid planetary interior, according to a new experimental study published in Nature Communications.

Winds, Jets, and Wigglings from Young Stars and Their Disks

New JWST observations provide a detailed look at the jets of four young stars, revealing shocks, mass loss, and wiggly behavior that hints at a hidden binary companion.