More Planetary Science Stories

This artist’s concept shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like based on science data. K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 in the habitable zone and lies 120 light-years from Earth.

Are there signs of life on alien planet K2-18b, or is it just a lot of hot air?

The James Webb Space Telescope may have detected life-associated gas in the atmosphere of a far-off planet. The news is being greeted with both enthusiasm and skepticism.

Rogue Theatre's "Marjorie Prime" creates a conversation about what it means to be human in the age of AI.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Understanding canyons on the moon; and more voices from The Class of 2024.

This image provided by NASA shows an enhanced color view of Pluto’s big moon Charon captured by the New Horizons spacecraft, July 14, 2015.

NASA's Webb telescope detects traces of carbon dioxide on the surface of Pluto's largest moon

The latest detection is key to studying how Charon and other icy objects in the Kuiper Belt came to be.

The first CHAPEA mission crew members who have been living and working inside NASA’s first simulated yearlong Mars habitat mission pose for a photograph taken on June 25, 2024.

Volunteers who lived in a NASA-created Mars replica for over a year have emerged

Participants entered the 3D-printed Mars replica on June 25, 2023, as part of a NASA experiment to observe how humans would fare living on the Red Planet.

New observations of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter have revealed that the planet’s atmosphere above and around the infamous storm is surprisingly interesting and active. This graphic shows the region observed by Webb — first its location on a NIRCam image of the whole planet (left), and the region itself (right), imaged by Webb’s Near-InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec).

New findings about Jupiter revolve around Great Red Spot

Data from James Webb Space Telescope adds to giant planet's mystery.

The Hubble Space Telescope in orbit in 1999, just after a servicing mission by astronauts.

Hubble will change how it points, but NASA says 'great science' will continue

Officials say they are shifting into a new way of pointing the telescope in order to work around a piece of hardware that’s become intolerably glitchy.

A group of three watch the solar eclipse in Tucson, Ariz., on Monday, April 8, on the University of Arizona campus mall.

Sun, moon, and spectacle: Thousands flock to UA mall for solar eclipse

The last total solar eclipse that could be seen in the United States was in 2017.

Moon rocks from the Apollo era being studied at NASA's astrobiology lab in Houston, TX.

University of Arizona opens new astrobiology center

It keeps UA at the forefront of research about objects gathered from space.

A photo of the solar eclipse from August 2017, taken on the University of Arizona campus.

“Ring of Fire” solar eclipse coming Saturday morning

The peak annular eclipse will happen in Tucson at 9:33 a.m on Oct. 14.

A view of the outside of the OSIRIS-REx sample collector. Sample material from asteroid Bennu can be seen on the middle right. Scientists have found evidence of both carbon and water in initial analysis of this material. The bulk of the sample is located inside.

OSIRIS-REx brings home largest carbon rich sample

NASA revealed its preliminary findings Wednesday morning.

University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab staff members Damon Jackson (left) and Conrad Vogel (right) in the foreground looking up at the back of primary mirror segment five, April 2019.

Last mirror for world’s biggest telescope begins construction at University of Arizona

The mirror for the Giant Magellan Telescope will begin its laborious construction process this week.

The sample return capsule from Osiris REx after parachuting into the Utah desert.

OSIRIS-REx successfully returns sample capsule to Earth

The landing ended a seven year mission to the asteroid Bennu and back.

Illustration shows NASA's Lucy spacecraft visiting multiple asteroids during a 12 year mission.

Why asteroids are the hottest objects for exploration in the solar system

Osiris REx is among a group of spacecraft aimed at discovering new information about space rocks.

Illustration of NASA's Psyche spacecraft approaching the asteroid 16 Psyche in 2029.

Launch date approaches for long-awaited mission to a metal-marked asteroid

NASA's Psyche spacecraft has ASU ties.

Artist’s conception of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collecting a sample from the asteroid Bennu.

The Buzz: What to expect when OSIRIS-REx returns to Earth

The seven-year mission to harvest samples of an asteroid is months from completion, and scientists are ready for the next step.

Cassandra Klos, mission commander, left, is greeted by Linda Leigh, right, one of the original eight Biospherians as the door is opened on the Space Analog for the Moon and Mars on Tuesday May 2, 2023 at Biosphere 2 in Tucson.

Four-person crew released from sealed habitat after week long journey

The crew studied what it would be like to live and work on another planet inside a pressurized habitat.

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