LPL Spotlight Stories

According to a hypothesis developed by UA alumni William Hartmann and Donald Davis, the moon was formed from a debris blown off primordial Earth by a giant impact during Earth's formation. Their 1974 paper introduced what is now the leading theory of lunar origin. (Image: William Hartmann)
Gerard P. Kuiper founded the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in 1960.
The retreat of Mars' polar cap of frozen carbon dioxide during the spring and summer generates winds that drive the largest movements of sand dunes observed on the red planet. (Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/USGS)
A giant of a moon appears before a giant of a planet. Titan, Saturn's largest moon, measures 3,200 miles (5,150 km) across and is larger than the planet Mercury. (Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)
This view shows Saturn's northern hemisphere in 2016, as that part of the planet nears its northern hemisphere summer solstice in May 2017. (Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)
A team of researchers found a grain (inset image) encased in a meteorite that survived the formation of our solar system and analyzed it with instruments sensitive enough to identify single atoms in a sample. Measuring 1/25,000th of an inch, the carbon-rich graphite grain (red) revealed an embedded speck of oxygen-rich material (blue), two types of stardust that were thought could not form in the same nova eruption. (Image: Heather Roper/University of Arizona)
Powerful Particles and Tugging Tides May Affect Extraterrestrial Life
Dr. Michael Sori was presented with the Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award at the 2019 Awards of Distinction Luncheon and Ceremony, on April 1st.
Dr. Alfred McEwen named Regents' Professor
Bennu's surface is rockier than expected, creating challenges for the team whose mission is to scoop up a sample of pristine material and return it to Earth in 2023. (Image: NASA/Goddard/UA)