Page 5 - Planetary Studies News Today

Christopher Browne has been named the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, effective immediately. He has served as acting director since January 2021. Browne first joined the museum as deputy director in 2017, and he has helped lead the museum’s multi-year renovation of its flagship building in Washington, D.C.

Mars massive dust storms that periodically engulf and continue to puzzle planetary scientists—and pose threats to future expeditions. NASA’s beloved solar-powered rover, Opportunity, was killed in the line of duty when a 2018 dust storm blotted out the sun.  Individual dust particles on Mars are very small and slightly electrostatic, so they stick to the surfaces they contact like Styrofoam packing peanuts. As such, the dust can potentially gum up delicate machinery and space suits.

Carl Sagan was a scientist and educator best known for his TV series Cosmos, the Pale Blue Dot image of Earth and quotes about life and Earth.

Andrew Chaikin Andrew Chaikin has authored books and articles about space exploration and astronomy for more than 25 years. He is active as a lecturer in public and private venues, and frequently visits schools of all grade levels to talk about space-related topics. Chaikin is best known as the author of A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts, first published in 1994. This acclaimed work was the main basis for Tom Hanks HBO miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon, which won the ...

Homepage | News & Events | Get to know 5 notable Arab Americans Arab Americans have long made outsized contributions to American society, whether in the area of science, politics, the arts or other disciplines. The 2019 American Community Survey shows an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States reported Arab ancestry. The largest group is of Lebanese ancestry, but others claim Yemeni, Algerian, Saudi Arabian, Tunisian, Kuwaiti, Libyan, Kurdish or other Arab origins. In honor ...

Yesterday, NASA made history by landing a rover on Mars and there was a former Buffalo State professor that had a huge role in the mission.

February 11th, 2021, 2:48PM / BY Kirby Ewald Perseverance Rover on Mars ( NASA Illustration) On Thursday, February 18, 2021, Perseverance, a NASA rover about the size of a small car that launched from Earth in July 2020, will land in the Jezero crater in the northern hemisphere of Mars (18.5N, 77.4E). Its mission highlights include several far-reaching, audacious goals, including looking for signs of ancient life and demonstrating technology for future exploration. Le...