Explore Planetary and
Solar Systems Science at LPL
Welcome to the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
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.
New Images: OSIRIS-REx Leaves its Mark on Bennu
New images of Bennu's surface captured during the final flyover reveal dramatic changes to the sample site.
What Touching an Asteroid Can Teach Us
NASA will make history on Oct. 20 by attempting its first-ever sample collection maneuver at an asteroid. LPL professor Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for the OSIRIS-REx mission, discusses the significance of the mission for science and society.
OSIRIS-REx Successfully Touches Asteroid Bennu in Sample Grab
Ten years after NASA selected LPL to lead the OSIRIS-REx mission, the spacecraft successfully completed its most treacherous and rewarding task: sample collection.
Upcoming Events
Statement on Diversity
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 people of color, immigrants of all statuses, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, and all those who intersect with 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.
Science can succeed only if there is diversity—diversity of ideas, of perspectives, and of individuals.
Research Focus Areas
Pursuing interdisciplinary research spanning the breadth and depth of planetary science.
Earth
Earth
Collecting information about Earth from space provides new information about how Earth systems work, how they are changing, and how humans might anticipate and respond to changes.
Lunar Studies
Lunar Studies
Lunar research was one of the hallmarks of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in its first decade (the 1960s) as...
Planetary Atmospheres
Planetary Atmospheres
The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory has a strong background in the study of planetary and satellite atmospheres. Since the pioneering...
Solar & Heliospheric
Solar & Heliospheric
LPL's Solar and Heliospheric Research Group studies the Sun’s atmosphere and magnetic field as it moves outward at supersonic speeds throughout the solar system until it encounters the local interstellar medium.
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.
Psyche
Psyche
The Psyche mission, launching in 2022, is a journey to a unique metal asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. What makes the asteroid Psyche unique is that it appears to be the exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet, one of the building blocks of our solar system.
Solar Orbiter
Solar Orbiter
Solar Orbiter will address big questions in Solar System science to help us understand how our star creates and controls the giant bubble of plasma that surrounds the whole Solar System and influences the planets within it. It is an ESA mission with strong NASA participation.
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.
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).
Arizona/NASA Space Grant
The Arizona/NASA Space Grant Consortium , headquartered at LPL, contributes to the nation's science enterprise by implementing research, education and...