Page 3 - Planetary Lab News Today

The University of Arizona has marked the completion of construction and opening of the $85 million Applied Research Building (ARB).

University of Arizona space sciences activities generate more than $560 million every year for the local economy, according to an economic impact report delivered by Rounds Consulting Group.

Discoveries include the identification of a "mystery molecule" that had previously been detected but stumped astronomers, and insights that help build know-how needed to interpret potential signs of habitability on other exoplanets, including worlds that have yet to be discovered.

Spacewatch has used UA telescopes to search for near-Earth asteroids since the 1980s.

University of Arizona has partnered with the U.S. Space Command by becoming the inaugural member of the Academic Engagement Enterprise.Through this partnership, UA will support the Department of Defense by researching and responding to challenges in space and security.Jekan Thanga is a professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at UA. He says the university’s unique

What is the meaning of life? Well, that can be up to interpretation. Now, what’s behind the formation of life? Well, that’s carbon. A new study out of the University of Arizona shows a connection between dying stars and the creation of complex carbon molecules. Not quite as complex as a life-form, but this study has implications for the origin of life.

Carbon nanotubes are tiny tubes made of pure carbon. There is evidence that they could be produced in the dust and gas that surround dying stars. The

Evidence suggests that carbon nanotubes, tiny tubes consisting of pure carbon, could be forged in the envelopes of dust and gas surrounding dying stars. The findings propose a simple, yet elegant mechanism for the formation and survival of complex carbon molecules in space.

The asteroid is thought to measure about 656 feet across, which would make it taller than the Space Needle in Seattle.

Plasma is rare on Earth, but it fills the sky. To more deeply understand this state of matter that makes up 99% of the visible universe, NASA's HelioSwarm mission will deploy a "swarm" of spacecraft to gather data. UArizona assistant professor Kristopher Klein will serve as the mission's deputy principal investigator.