Explore Planetary and
Solar Systems Science at LPL
Welcome to the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
A New Lens for Life-Searching Space Telescopes
UA researchers have designed a new kind of telescope that is a cheaper, lighter and more powerful option than creating telescopes using ever-larger mirrors. With a fleet of the newly designed space telescopes, they aim to scour a thousand worlds for the chemical signatures of life.
Stellar Corpse Reveals Clues to Missing Stardust
By Daniel Stolte, University Communications - December 19, 2018 Everything around you – your desk, your laptop, your coffee cup...
Ashes of a Dying Star Hold Clues about Solar System's Birth
By Daniel Stolte, University Communications - April 29, 2019 A grain of dust forged in the death throes of a...
Upcoming Events
Research Focus Areas
Pursuing interdisciplinary research spanning the breadth and depth of planetary science.
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
Astrobiology
Astrobiology is a vibrant field that focuses on the study of the origins, distribution and evolution of life in the...
Astrobiology
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.
Solar & Heliospheric
Lunar Studies
Lunar research was one of the hallmarks of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in its first decade (the 1960s) as...
Lunar Studies
Spacecraft Missions and Instrumentation
Exploring the Universe as investigators on spacecraft mission and instrumentation teams.
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
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)
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.
Psyche
MAVEN
Mission goals for MAVEN include determining how the planet's atmosphere and water, presumed to have once been substantial, were lost over time.
MAVEN
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.
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...
HiRISE
We have a simple philosophy: HiRISE is “the people’s camera” because we believe that knowledge about Mars belongs to everyone.