Astronomy

The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory's annual open house had a heightened sense of anticipation, with the Sept. 8 launch of the mission's spacecraft only days away in Florida. The mission represents "a turning of the corner" in the way that the planets are investigated, says deputy principal investigator Ed Beshore.

The venue now features new seating, acoustic enhancements and lighting along with an improved layout for its shows. Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium first opened in 1975.

The renowned Mirror Lab bears the name of the longtime supporter of astronomy, whose gift of $20 million enabled the UA to be a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Named for the sacred eye of an ancient Egyptian god, it offers a unique opportunity to probe the fundamental physics of galaxies and add to our understanding of cosmology.

The assistant professor of physics will use funds to expand our understanding of dark energy, the mysterious substance making up 70 percent of the universe's energy content.

Two images taken by Erich Karkoschka as part of UA research on the atmospheres of Jupiter and Uranus have been selected by the U.S. Postal Service for a set of special-edition stamps. The official release is Tuesday at the World Stamp Show.

The UA Mall and the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter are featured in the first episode of the six-part science series "Genius by Stephen Hawking."