Explore Planetary and
Solar Systems Science at LPL
Welcome to the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
UA Undergrad Works to ID OSIRIS-REx Touchdown Site
By Emily Dieckman, UA College of Engineering - December 10, 2018 University of Arizona senior Keara Burke spent her...
Alfred McEwen Appointed Regents' Professor
University Communications - April 15, 2019 The Arizona Board of Regents on April 11 confirmed the appointments of University of...
Moon Maps, Lunar Origins and Everything Between
A theory for the origin of the moon germinated in the mind of a UA graduate student as he mapped the surface. The theory is still cited today as scientists continue to learn more about our celestial neighbor.
Research Focus Areas
Pursuing interdisciplinary research spanning the breadth and depth of planetary science.
Orbital Dynamics
Kepler's laws of planetary motion turn out to be far from the last word on planetary orbits. Orbits change over...
Orbital Dynamics
Lunar Studies
Lunar research was one of the hallmarks of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in its first decade (the 1960s) as...
Lunar Studies
Small Bodies
LPL scientists study asteroids, comets, and meteorites using groundbased observations, spacecraft missions, and modeling techniques.
Small Bodies
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.
Earth
Spacecraft Missions and Instrumentation
Exploring the Universe as investigators on spacecraft mission and instrumentation teams.
HiRISE (MRO)
The HiRISE operations center, which includes not only observation planning, but the execution of commands sent to the spacecraft along with actual image processing, is located within LPL at the University of Arizona.
HiRISE (MRO)
OSIRIS-REx
LPL is home to the OSIRIS-REx mission. OSIRIS-Rex arrived at asteroid Bennu in 2018; it has begun to survey and map Bennu, navigating in close proximity to the asteroid, and will ultimately touch the surface for five seconds to gather a sample of the asteroid.
OSIRIS-REx
CAESAR
CAESAR will acquire a sample from the nucleus of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko and return it to Earth.
CAESAR
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.
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
Discover Planetary Sciences
Explore asteroids, exoplanets, and beyond. 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 at LPL take every opportunity to share their research with the community.
Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter
Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter is an exceptional science learning facility located at Steward Observatory's "sky island" observing site. The SkyCenter builds upon the uniqueness of the 9,157 foot summit of Mt. Lemmon and the extensive knowledge base at the University of Arizona to deliver educational programs.
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.
HiRISE
We have a simple philosophy: HiRISE is “the people’s camera” because we believe that knowledge about Mars belongs to everyone.