“The spacecraft has been observing the asteroid for nearly two years now,” said Joshua Emery, associate professor in NAU’s Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science and a member of the OSIRIS-REx science team. “Bennu has turned out to be a fascinating small asteroid and has given… Read more
Now in its 31st year, the award-winning annual Festival of Science—the longest-running event of its kind in the Western Hemisphere—continues to be a cornerstone event for the Flagstaff community, with Northern Arizona University playing a key role in the festival’s success. Through active participation by NAU scientists, artists and educators, as well as through a robust sponsorship commitment, the university contributes to the Flagstaff community through the festival in a variety of ways.
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Three Ph.D. students in Northern Arizona University’s Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science have been awarded grants through the Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) program. The funding—up to $135,000 total per student for up to three years—supports graduate student-designed research projects that help further NASA’s Science Mission Directorate interests in Earth sciences, heliophysics, planetary science and astrophysics.
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NAU assistant professor Cristina Thomas, whose research focuses on asteroids, recently received two grants from NASA to study two different types of asteroids in the Main Asteroid Belt. The results of her studies will add to the existing body of knowledge in this field, helping scientists better understand the origins of asteroids.
Click this link for the full article: NAU planetary astronomer receives NASA grants for two… Read more
A critical part of science is being able to convince funding organizations that a research project is worth their money.
It’s so important, in fact, that Ty Robinson, an assistant professor in the Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science at Northern Arizona University, added a class, called Writing a Fellowship Proposal, to the curriculum. The course gives graduate students the knowledge and experience necessary to write applications for grants and fellowships.
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In the vastness of space, scientists have found 30-40 of what they call active asteroids. Besides the rarity, they’re unusual in that they have tails—normal for comets, not so much for asteroids.
These mysterious celestial bodies also may hold the secret to the origin of water on Earth.
It’s a hotly-contested question, said Northern Arizona University graduate Jay Kueny, and he’s eager to… Read more