April 19, 2023 100 years ago, 'telescope of huge size' launched UArizona's leading role in astronomy On April 23, 1923, the university celebrated a new, 36-inch telescope that would kick off major astronomical research. Steward Observatory will be rededicated this weekend in honor of its 100-year anniversary.
March 24, 2023 6 months to go until historic asteroid sample delivery NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is cruising back to Earth with the sample it collected from asteroid Bennu's rocky surface in 2020. When the sample capsule parachutes down into the Utah desert on Sept. 24, the UArizona-led OSIRIS-REx mission will become the first U.S. mission to return an asteroid sample to Earth.
March 15, 2023 3D radar scan provides clues about threats to iconic Alaskan glacier Mapping a large coastal glacier in Alaska revealed that its bulk sits below sea level and is undercut by channels, making it vulnerable to accelerated melting in an already deteriorating coastal habitat.
March 1, 2023 Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumb trick inspires robotic exploration of caves on Mars and beyond Future space missions likely will send robots to scout out underground habitats for astronauts. UArizona engineers have developed a system that would allow autonomous vehicles to explore caves, lava tubes and even oceans on other worlds.
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.
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.