Dec. 5, 2022 Giant mantle plume reveals Mars is more active than previously thought Researchers have discovered an enormous mantle plume pushing the surface of Mars upward and driving intense volcanic and seismic activity. The discovery reveals that Mars, like Earth and Venus, possesses an active interior, which challenges current views on the planet's evolution.
Nov. 16, 2022 Mapping rock glaciers to understand their future on Earth and Mars University of Arizona researchers developed a new method for analyzing rock glaciers, which are made up of a mix of ice, sand and rocks. The method could help scientists better understand these "hidden giants" on Earth and Mars.
Oct. 19, 2022 Planetary scientist Dani DellaGiustina makes Popular Science Brilliant 10 Dani DellaGiustina, deputy principal investigator for the OSIRIS-REx mission and principal investigator for OSIRIS-APEX, was named to the list for her work to understand the solar system's past, present and future.
Oct. 4, 2022 Scientists identify potential source of 'shock-darkened' meteorites, with implications for hazardous asteroid deflection Shock-darkened meteorites are characterized by dark veins. Planetary scientists have been unable to pinpoint a nearby asteroid source of these meteorites – until now.
Sept. 19, 2022 UArizona Spacewatch discovered the larger of the twin asteroids targeted in NASA's upcoming DART mission NASA's DART spacecraft will slam into an asteroid this month, and scientists will study how the impact affects its orbit around a larger, companion asteroid discovered by UArizona researchers in 1996.
Aug. 25, 2022 With Webb Space Telescope, UArizona astronomers help detect carbon dioxide in exoplanet atmosphere After years of preparation and anticipation, exoplanet researchers are ecstatic about the first official scientific observation of an exoplanet by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The results are indicative of Webb's ability to spot key molecules like carbon dioxide in a wide variety of exoplanets.
Aug. 17, 2022 More than one asteroid could have spelled doom for the dinosaurs A newly discovered impact crater below the seafloor hints at the possibility that more than one asteroid hit Earth during the time when dinosaurs went extinct. UArizona researcher Veronica Bray, who specializes in craters found throughout the solar system, is co-author of a new study about the discovery.
Aug. 2, 2022 As reflective satellites fill the skies, UArizona students are making sure astronomers can adapt University of Arizona students and faculty members completed a comprehensive study to track and characterize satellites, using a ground-based sensor they developed to measure satellites' brightness, speed and paths through the sky.
July 7, 2022 OSIRIS-REx scientists: Taking asteroid sample was like punching a ball pit Before-and-after data from the few seconds it took the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to collect a sample from asteroid Bennu revealed a surprise: The particles of Bennu's exterior are so loosely packed, they act more like a fluid than a solid.
May 31, 2022 Planetary defense exercise uses Apophis as hazardous asteroid stand-in UArizona scientists took part in an international planetary defense exercise that used asteroid Apophis – a large, potentially hazardous asteroid – to test the planetary defense response chain.
