In one of the most exciting developments in astronomy in the 21st century, NASA is launching the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) today—and Northern Arizona University astronomers, planetary astronomers and their students will use the massive observatory to expand their research and advance our understanding of the solar system.
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NASA’s latest launch into outer space is going to make an impact. In fact, that’s its entire mission.
It’s all part of a long-term planetary defense strategy to avoid an “Armageddon” scenario, and NAU planetary scientist Cristina Thomas is part of the team studying this event.
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Planetary astronomer Josh Emery, professor in Northern Arizona University’s Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, leads the Surface Composition Working Group (SCWG) for the [LUCY] mission. It’s his job to help plan the observations of the targets that are required to answer the open science questions about Trojan asteroids. The group will determine what materials the asteroids are made of as they search for ice, complex organic molecules and rocky material that will indicate… Read more
In support of their Mars research, Koeppel (on the left) and Edwards (right) conducted an analog study in a cinder field near Flagstaff, Arizona. At the Flagstaff study site, they were able to collect data in the field and compare it with the data collected from the drones, simulating satellite imagery.
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Here are a bunch of places where Cristina appeared in media reports over the past couple of weeks:
DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test), which is scheduled to launch at 10:20 p.m. PST on Nov. 23 out of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, is NASA’s first planetary defense mission. This mission will demonstrate asteroid deflection via kinetic impact. The goal is to collide with the target to see how the orbit changes. It’s a test run to see if such a plan is feasible should we find an asteroid on a collision course with… Read more