LPL Will Lead Mission to Discover Potentially Dangerous Asteroids
NASA has tasked LPL Professor Amy Mainzer, an expert in infrared astronomy, with delivering NEO Surveyor, a mission to find, track and characterize yet unseen asteroids and comets that may pose a threat to Earth.
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Coronavirus Information
Until further notice, the University of Arizona, in accordance with the guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages all employees to work remotely. Our offices in the Kuiper, Sonett, and Drake Buildings are closed to the public, but you can reach the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Monday–Friday 8am-5pm, at 520-621-6963.
NASA Extends UArizona-Led Asteroid Search Mission
For two more years, NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or NEOWISE, will continue its hunt for asteroids and comets – including objects that could pose a hazard to Earth.
An Asteroid of a Different Color … and Other Secrets of Bennu Unlocked
The LPL-led OSIRIS-REx mission is gearing up for its first attempt to collect a sample from asteroid Bennu this month. But before even touching the surface, scientists are learning more than ever about the material that makes up the asteroid.
Escape from Mars: How Water Fled the Red Planet
New LPL-led research updates our understanding of how water escaped Mars – not like a leaky faucet but with a sudden splash.
Upcoming Events
Statement on Diversity
Science can succeed only if there is diversity—diversity of ideas, of perspectives, and of individuals. We at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) value diversity in all of its forms. LPL strives to address inherent problems that exist within planetary science, and academia in general. LPL is at the forefront of planetary and space sciences, and as such must stand as an ally to and in solidarity with its community members regardless of race, national origin, immigration status, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, intellectual and physical ability, income, faith and non-faith perspectives, socio-economic class, political ideology, education, primary language, family status, military experience, cognitive style, and communication style, and with all people who intersect these groups. We strongly believe that the science and knowledge we pursue every day is a human pursuit strengthened through the participation of these historically minoritized groups.
For more information on the DLC and its members, visit the Department Life Committee page.
Research Focus Areas
Pursuing interdisciplinary research spanning the breadth and depth of planetary science.
Space Situational Awareness
Space Situational Awareness
Orbital space around our Earth is congested, contested and competitive. Our research group is actively working to ensure sustainable management of this valuable resource for future generations.
Planetary Geophysics
Planetary Geophysics
At LPL, we use planetary geophysics to study the interior structure and dynamics of solid planetary bodies. Geophysical data provides...
Cosmochemistry
Cosmochemistry
Planetary Materials are those pieces of condensed matter that were leftover from the time that our solar system formed over...
Small Bodies
Small Bodies
LPL scientists study asteroids, comets, and meteorites using groundbased observations, spacecraft missions, and modeling techniques.
Spacecraft Missions and Instrumentation
Exploring the Universe as investigators on spacecraft mission and instrumentation teams.
HiRISE (MRO)
HiRISE (MRO)
HiRISE, the high resolution imaging science experiment onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, is the most powerful camera ever sent to another planet.
OSIRIS-REx
OSIRIS-REx
LPL is home to the OSIRIS-REx mission, which made history for NASA when it tagged the surface of asteroid Bennu for 4.7 seconds, triggering a flush of nitrogen gas and collecting the largest sample of extraterrestrial material since the Apollo moon landings.
Hubble
Hubble
Studying the cosmos for over a quarter century, the Hubble Space Telescope has made more than a million observations and changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
The 2016 ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is the first in a series of Mars missions to be undertaken jointly by the two space agencies, ESA and Roscosmos.
Discover Planetary Sciences
Earn a Ph.D. with a major in Planetary Sciences.
Graduate Program
The Department of Planetary Sciences offers multidisciplinary programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree with a major in planetary sciences.
Undergraduate Program
The Department of Planetary Sciences offers an undergraduate minor in Planetary Sciences.
Astrobiology Minor
Astrobiology is an interdisciplinary field that combines astronomy, geology, biology and chemistry.
Public Education and Outreach
Faculty, staff, and students engage with diverse communities.
UArizona SEDS
LPL hosts the University of Arizona Chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space .
The Art of Planetary Science (TAPS)
The Art of Planetary Science is an annual art exhibition run by UA's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory that celebrates the beauty and elegance of science.
Space Drafts
Space Drafts is Tucson’s flavor of Astronomy on Tap. Talks are held one Wednesday of every month at one of Tucson’s finest microbreweries, The Borderlands Brewing Company. Space Drafts is free and open to all ages (of humans and dogs alike).