James Webb Space Telescope: An Astronomer on the Team Explains the “First Light Machine”
The James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to head to space on December 18, 2021. With it, astronomers hope to find the first galaxies to…
University of Arizona News
Scientists Measure the Atmosphere of a Planet in Another Solar System 340 Light-Years Away
An international team of scientists, using the ground-based Gemini Observatory telescope in Chile, is the first to directly measure the amount of both water and…
Asteroid Bennu’s Surface Surprised Scientists – Here’s the Reason for the Mysterious Lack of Fine Regolith
Using data from NASA OSIRIS-REx mission, a University of Arizona-led team of scientists concluded that asteroids with highly porous rocks, such as Bennu, should lack…
Biosymbiotic Devices: 3D-Printed Personalized, Wireless Wearables That Never Need a Charge
The new devices, custom made to fit individuals, could mean massive improvements in the monitoring and treatment of diseases, the testing of new drugs, and…
Researchers Discover Evidence of a Major Coronavirus Epidemic 20,000 Years Ago
Studying the genomes of modern humans from 26 worldwide populations, researchers discovered the genetic “footprint” of an ancient coronavirus outbreak. Studies like this one could help…
“Mini Psyches” Give Insights Into Mysterious Metal-Rich Near-Earth Asteroids That Could One Day Be Mined
New research into metal-rich asteroids reveals information about the origins and compositions of these rare bodies that could one day be mined. Metal-rich near-Earth asteroids,…
This Is What It Looks Like When a Black Hole Snacks on an Unlucky Star
Analyzing observations of an X-ray flare and fitting the data with theoretical models, University of Arizona astronomers documented a fatal encounter between an unlucky star…
Autonomous Robot Swarms To Mine the Moon’s Resources
University of Arizona aerospace and mining engineers are mapping out a plan for harvesting the moon’s resources using autonomous robot swarms and new excavation techniques….
Like Venom Coursing Through the Body: Mechanism Driving COVID-19 Mortality Identified
Researchers have identified what may be the key molecular mechanism responsible for COVID-19 mortality – an enzyme related to neurotoxins found in rattlesnake venom. An…
New Research Helps Explain the Diversity of Life and “Paradox of Sex”
New University of Arizona research finds that sexual reproduction and multicellularity drive diversity among different species. There are huge differences in species numbers among the…
NASA Is Sending a Spacecraft to Asteroid 16 Psyche – It Might Not Be What Scientists Expected
New University of Arizona research finds that the target asteroid of NASA’s Psyche mission may not be as metallic or dense as previously predicted. The…
Quantum Computing and Sensing: Engineers Demonstrate a Quantum Advantage
Researchers in the University of Arizona College of Engineering and James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences experimentally demonstrate how quantum resources aren’t just dreams…
New Research Shows Puppies Are Biologically Wired to Communicate With People
Dogs may have earned the title “man’s best friend” because of how good they are at interacting with people. Those social skills may be present…
Evidence of Active Volcanoes on Mars Raises Possibility of Recent Habitable Conditions – “Mars Isn’t Dead”
New observations reveal that Mars could still be volcanically active, raising the possibility for habitable conditions below the surface of Mars in recent history. Evidence…
NASA OSIRIS-REx’s Final Observation Run of Asteroid Bennu Before Returning to Earth
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is on the brink of discovering the extent of the mess it made on asteroid Bennu’s surface during last fall’s sample collection…
Solar-Powered Lunar Ark Proposed As “Modern Global Insurance Policy”
The ambitious project proposed by a University of Arizona team aims to preserve humankind – and animal-kind, plant-kind and fungi-kind – in the event of…
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Final Flyby of Asteroid Bennu Before 2 Year Journey Back to Earth
On April 7, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission will give asteroid Bennu one last glance before saying farewell. Before departing for Earth on May 10, the OSIRIS-REx…
“Game-Changing” New Way to Look for Planets That Could Harbor Life
New capabilities developed by an international team of astronomers make it possible to directly image planets that could potentially harbor life within the habitable zone…