News

  • UCF Planetary Scientists Study Enigmatic Distant Comet

    UCF Planetary Scientists Study Enigmatic Distant Comet

    Physics Professor Dr. Yan Fernandez and FSI Scientist Dr. Charles Schambeau are part of a team that has just published a paper in Nature Astronomy describing observations and analysis of Comet 29P, a mysterious comet orbiting in the outer Solar System beyond Jupiter. The team used the James Webb Space Telescope for the research.

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  • Distant Stars Spotlight Mini Moons in Saturn’s Rings

    Distant Stars Spotlight Mini Moons in Saturn’s Rings

    EOS magazine did a story on recent work published by UCF planetary scientist Dr. Richard Jerousek on the structure of Saturn’s rings.

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  • UCF’s First Mission to the Moon Passes Two Critical Milestones

    UCF’s First Mission to the Moon Passes Two Critical Milestones

    The objective of the mission is to study how the Moon’s Gruithuisen Domes were formed and provide greater insight on the creation and composition on the lunar surface. The mission is led by UCF planetary scientists Prof. Kerri Donaldson Hanna (PI) and Prof. Addie Dove (Deputy PI). Read the news article here!

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  • UCF Scientists Study Starship Launchpad in Preparation for Future NASA Lunar Missions

    UCF Scientists Study Starship Launchpad in Preparation for Future NASA Lunar Missions

    FSI Planetary Scientist Phil Metzger and doctoral candidate Brandon Dotson analyzed samples and data from the first SpaceX Starship launchpad blast to determine methods of improving lunar launches. Read the news article!

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  • UCF Planetary Scientist’s Expertise Informs New Method for Terraforming Mars

    UCF Planetary Scientist’s Expertise Informs New Method for Terraforming Mars

    UCF planetary scientist Ramses Ramirez and collaborators modeled the efficacy of using Martian nanoparticles to increase the planet’s surface temperature, a key component to making Mars habitable. Read the news article about it and the paper they published!

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  • JWST Detects Carbon Dioxide on Planet Outside Solar System

    JWST Detects Carbon Dioxide on Planet Outside Solar System

    UCF Planetary Scientist Prof. Joe Harrington is part of a team of scientists who used JWST to find carbon dioxide (CO2) for the first time on a planet outside our Solar System.

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  • Planetary Science Graduate Student Wins Award at NASA Exploration Science Forum

    Planetary Science Graduate Student Wins Award at NASA Exploration Science Forum

    UCF Planetary Science Graduate Student Autumn Shackelford has won an award at last week’s NASA Exploration Science Forum for her research presentation on “SWEEPS: A New Space Weathering Chamber.”

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  • Several UCF Planetary Scientists Will Be Using JWST Soon

    Several UCF Planetary Scientists Will Be Using JWST Soon

    The Orlando Sentinel talks about the 8 UCF students and faculty who will be among those getting a first crack at data from the now-operational JWST.

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  • Local News Interviews UCF Planetary Scientist about JWST

    Local News Interviews UCF Planetary Scientist about JWST

    Orlando’s Fox affiliate interviewed Prof. Yan Fernandez about his involvement with upcoming JWST observations.

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