LPL Spotlight Stories
Percolating Clues: A New Way to Build Planetary Cores
Molten sulfide can migrate and coalesce within a solid planetary interior, according to a new experimental study published in Nature Communications.
Winds, Jets, and Wigglings from Young Stars and Their Disks
New JWST observations provide a detailed look at the jets of four young stars, revealing shocks, mass loss, and wiggly behavior that hints at a hidden binary companion.
Combination of Cosmic Processes Shapes the Size and Location of Sub-Neptunes
A combination of cosmic processes shapes the formation of one of the most common types of planets outside of our solar system, a new study finds. The research team, which included University of Arizona planetary scientists, used data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, to study young sub-Neptunes - planets bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune - that orbit close to their stars.
James Webb Telescope Reveals Planet-Forming Disks Can Last Longer Than Previously Thought
Researchers at the University of Arizona have discovered that planet-forming disks of gas and dust around tiny stars live much longer than previously thought. The findings provide new insights into planet formation and the habitability of planets outside our solar system.
University of Arizona Professors Develop Astronomy Curriculum Materials to Aid Visually Impaired Students
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory's Dr. Steve Kortenkamp and with Dr. Sunggye Hong in the College of Education have made groundbreaking strides to develop astronomy curriculum materials to aid visually impaired students.
Asteroid Bennu Comes From a Long-lost Salty World With Ingredients For Life
Two research publications by the OSIRIS-REx sample analysis team suggest that conditions for the emergence of life were widespread across the early solar system.
Snow4Flow: Studying Glaciers From Arizona
Snow4Flow is a new University of Arizona-led NASA mission to study arctic glaciers using advanced radar mounted on low-flying aircraft. Captained by Jack Holt, a professor at the University of Arizona’s Lunar & Planetary Lab, the mission’s goal is to improve climate modeling and to better understand glacial loss and its impact on sea level rise.
NASA's Pandora Mission One Step Closer to Probing Alien Atmospheres, With Mission Operations Based at U of A
Pandora, a small satellite mission poised to provide in-depth study of at least 20 known planets orbiting distant stars to determine the composition of their atmospheres cleared an important milestone by completing the spacecraft bus, which acts as the spacecraft's "brains."
Newly Discovered 'Kiss and Capture' Mechanism Explains the Formation of Pluto and Its Largest Moon
By Niranjana Rajalakshmi, University Communications - January 6, 2025 Billions of years ago, in the frigid outer reaches of our