{"id":3657,"date":"2020-07-31T09:27:16","date_gmt":"2020-07-31T16:27:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nau.edu\/astronomy-and-planetary-science\/?p=3657"},"modified":"2020-12-01T10:48:26","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T17:48:26","slug":"nsf-fellowship-graduate-school-ahead-for-nau-researcher-studying-whether-asteroids-with-tails-led-to-water-on-earth-nau-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/department-astronomy-planetary-science\/nsf-fellowship-graduate-school-ahead-for-nau-researcher-studying-whether-asteroids-with-tails-led-to-water-on-earth-nau-news\/","title":{"rendered":"NSF fellowship, graduate school ahead for NAU researcher studying whether asteroids with tails led to water on Earth \u2013 NAU News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GRFP<\/p>\n

\n

In the vastness of space, scientists have found 30-40 of what they call active asteroids. Besides the rarity, they\u2019re unusual in that they have tails\u2014normal for comets, not so much for asteroids.<\/p>\n

These mysterious celestial bodies also may hold the secret to the origin of water on Earth.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a hotly-contested question, said Northern Arizona University graduate Jay Kueny<\/strong>, and he\u2019s eager to jump into the debate. His research, which he\u2019s done for two years at NAU as an undergraduate and a post-baccalaureate scholar, got a boost when he was selected for the National Science Foundation\u2019s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).<\/p>\n

\u201cI have always fantasized about space flight and the prospect of mining asteroids for resources,\u201d said Kueny, who earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in astronomy in 2019. \u201cResearch that furthers knowledge on asteroid populations and the location of water reservoirs in our solar system could benefit these types of future space missions. Among other uses, space water could facilitate the creation of rocket fuel, breathable oxygen and survival provisions for plants and animals in spacecraft.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to study active asteroids<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Kueny worked with Ph.D. student Colin Chandler <\/strong>on his research into active asteroids, or these asteroids with tails. Recently, scientists debunked the popular theory of Earth\u2019s water getting delivered mainly by comets during the early years of the solar system; researchers found the hydrogen isotope ratios in Earth\u2019s ocean water didn\u2019t match that in comets. That left a big question about the early days of Earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we are able to determine that a significant number of asteroids harbor water ice, it would lend credence to an alternate theory\u2014asteroids instead were the main water delivery medium for a primitive Earth,\u201d Kueny said. \u201cThe discovery and characterization of active asteroids will further our understanding of how Earth obtained its water and more generally will offer clues on solar system formation and water delivery to potentially habitable planets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about Chandler\u2019s research, for which he won a GRFP award in 2018.<\/a><\/p>\n

One major obstacle to this work, however, is how rare these active asteroids are. A few dozen out of a million asteroids makes them hard to find, and if Kueny and Chandler can\u2019t find them, they can\u2019t study them. So they\u2019re trying something new.<\/p>\n

Enter hundreds (hopefully) of citizen scientists, who don\u2019t need expertise; they just need to have access to a computer and be willing to spend some time poring over pictures of space. The researchers will have these citizen scientists examine publicly available archival telescope image data for images of asteroids. From there, when an asteroid is recognized, the citizen science program Zooniverse will generate a thumbnail cutout and it will be reexamined to determine if the asteroid has a tail.<\/p>\n

\"Jay<\/a>
Jay Kueny at his May 2019 graduation<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Considering there will be tens of millions of thumbnails to look at, they need all the help they can get. Kueny and Chandler are in the final stages of preparing the dataset and various media to include in the project\u2019s workflow, as well as a tutorial and field guide.<\/p>\n

Upon completion of this project, I aim to provide framework for further efforts to pinpoint water content in our solar system and ultimately provide answers to the current dilemma surrounding the origin of Earth\u2019s water content,\u201d Kueny wrote in the research statement included in his GRFP application. \u201cI expect the results of this project to influence research advancements in exoplanets, solar systems formation and extraterrestrial life with water being a key component in the assembly of habitable worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ty Robinson<\/strong>, an assistant professor in the Department of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, is one of those researchers trying to answer those questions. He worked with Kueny during Kueny\u2019s undergraduate career.<\/p>\n

\u201cJay has been a real joy to collaborate with,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cJay is certainly one of those rare undergraduate students who can independently arrive at a great research idea and see that idea through from its inception to receiving funding. He is a very deserving GRFP awardee, and we are all excited to see him progress through his research and Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to involving citizen scientists, Kueny intends to share his research with the masses. He shared his desire to combine his teaching experience with this research to develop interactive lessons that center on water in the solar system and what it means for Earth.<\/p>\n

Heading into graduate school, GRFP in hand<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The application was stressful and required dozens of hours of hard work, Kueny said. He offered advice to future applicants:<\/p>\n