Planetary Science
Planetary Science News
How Ceres Froze Over: Modeling the Ice-Rich Crust of an Evolving Dwarf Planet
07-24-2025
Join planetary scientists Beth Johnson and Purdue's Ian Pamerleau, lead author of a groundbreaking new Nature Astronomy study, for a deep dive into the icy mysteries of Ceres—the largest object in the asteroid belt and the only dwarf planet to be orbited by a spacecraft.
Purdue announces launch of Neil Armstrong Space Prize
07-22-2025
Purdue University — recognized globally as the Cradle of Astronauts — announced the creation of a new international prize honoring excellence over the past 10 years in space discovery, innovation and human achievement. Named the Neil Armstrong Space Prize, the award is designed to stand alongside other prestigious honors in the scientific field, including the Nobel Prize, and become the premier global honor in space advancement.
Is there life on Mars? Scientists claim thick layers of clay could be perfect breeding grounds
07-15-2025
GBNews — Scientists have discovered that thick clay deposits on Mars could have provided stable environments where ancient life might have developed, according to new research. EAPS's Roger Wiens was quoted in this article and led the research team.
Forget Mars and Europa — NASA is hunting life on this unthinkable little world
07-01-2025
The Pulse — NASA is constantly searching for any signs of life in the solar system. Earth is currently the only planet that is capable of holding life as we know it, as the distance between it and the sun is perfect for life to proliferate. Now, they are turning their focus to somewhere else to see if there’s something vital for life. A team led by Ian Pamerleau, a Ph.D. student at Purdue University, worked with his supervisor, Mike Sori, and Jennifer Scully from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Ceres: The asteroid belt’s forgotten ocean world
06-24-2025
Big Think — Dawn data showed that Ceres’ density is quite low, suggesting a high overall water (rather than rock) content. That seemed inconsistent, however, with the general lack of shallow craters and the observation that deep craters are very well preserved. Recently, following a paper published in Nature Astronomy by EAPS's Ian Pamerleau and colleagues from Purdue University and the Jet Propulsion Lab, we found a solution to this apparent mystery.
Perseverance rover may hold secrets to newly discovered Mars volcano
06-16-2025
NewScientist — There appears to be a volcano near Jezero crater on Mars and the Perseverance rover might already have samples from it that we could use to precisely date the activity of another planet's volcano for the first time. Purdue EAPS's Briony Horgan is quoted in the article.
The Mysterious Inner Workings of Io, Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon
06-16-2025
Wired — Recent flybys of the fiery world refute a leading theory of its inner structure—and reveal how little is understood about geologically active moons. Purdue EAPS Assistant Professor Mike Sori was quoted in the article.
The Eleventh Community Workshop for Achievability and Sustainability of Human Exploration of Mars
06-16-2025
Explore Mars, Inc. — Purdue EAPS Professor Ali Bramson co-led a new expert consensus report from Explore Mars, Inc., outlining top U.S. priorities for sending humans to Mars. The report is based on expert-consensus and features a list of crucial activities that should be conducted based on consideration of mission architecture, critical technology development, risk mitigation, the international landscape, and the increasing role of commercial partnerships.
Rubin First Look Watch Party at Purdue University
06-09-2025
The release of the first images from NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is right around the corner. This will mark the beginning of a new era in astronomy, and we invite you to take part. Purdue University Physics and Astronomy invites you to the only official public watch party in Indiana, either in person or via stream. We welcome the public to the unveiling of these images and to learn how Purdue was involved in the formation of this state-of-the-art, land-based observatory.
Lunar meteorite discovery supports Purdue-led model of early Moon evolution
05-07-2025
A rock that crash-landed on Earth has made lunar science history, and a Purdue scientist, Tabb Prissel, played a key role in modeling its formation history. For the first time, researchers have classified a whole-rock meteorite as a lunar norite (Arguin 002), an igneous lunar rock type primarily comprised of the minerals orthopyroxene and plagioclase feldspar.
What’s Going On Inside Io, Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon?
05-01-2025
Quanta Magazine — Recent flybys of the fiery world refute a leading theory of its inner structure — and reveal how little is understood about geologically active moons. EAPS's Michael Sori was quoted in the article.
Mysterious Mars Rock Leaves Scientists Searching For Origin Clues
04-23-2025
Forbes — The Perseverance rover is currently exploring the rim of the Jezero Crater in an area called Witch Hazel Hill. The rover took some time in April to study a spot where lighter and darker rock outcrops meet. That’s where the unusual rock came into focus. Margaret Deahn, a PhD student in EAPS, is featured in the Forbes article.
NASA finds mysterious skull-shaped feature on Mars — where star-gazers say it doesn’t belong
04-21-2025
New York Post — NASA’s Mars rover has spotted something out of this world — a mysterious, skull-shaped elevation – sitting on a slope where star-gazers say it doesn’t belong. The mysterious rock – dubbed “Skull Hill” was discovered April 11 by the Perseverance rover while it was driving down a ridge called Witch Hazel Hill. Margaret Deahn, a Ph.D. student at Purdue University working with NASA was quoted in the article.
Video: NASA asteroid samples give a snapshot of the past
04-10-2025
Michelle Thompson, associate professor of earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences, describes OSIRIS-REx — NASA’s first mission to bring asteroid samples to Earth — and what scientists have learned from the samples since they arrived in 2023. Unlike the constantly shifting conditions on Earth, objects in space like asteroids have not been significantly altered since they were formed 4.5 billion years ago.
Are we alone in the universe? These Mars rocks could finally give us an answer.
04-07-2025
National Geographic — The Perseverance rover has found some intriguing samples on the red planet. Here's what they might reveal about the origins of life in our universe—if we can get them back to Earth. Purdue EAPS's Briony Horgan is quoted in the article.
March 2025 Lunar Eclipse at Purdue University
04-07-2025
The Purdue Astronomy Club and Physics and Astronomy Outreach hosted a recent “all-nighter” lunar eclipse viewing party. The event attracted over 100 Purdue undergrads, grads, and staff. Amazing pictures from the event are shown in this exposure gallery.
Wiens receives McCoy Award for groundbreaking Mars research
03-31-2025
Purdue University has bestowed the 2024 Herbert Newby McCoy Award to Roger Wiens, professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences in the College of Science. The award is the university’s highest honor for contributions to the natural sciences. Wiens was selected for his pioneering research in planetary science and instrumental role in advancing NASA’s Mars exploration efforts.
Purdue SuperCam helping with Mars research
03-31-2025
Inside Indiana Business—Purdue University is playing a key role in cracking the code on a planet 140 million miles away from Earth. Purdue professor Roger Wiens' state-of-the-art camera perched atop the Perseverance Rover is marking its fourth year on Mars. It's gathering half a million images to help scientists better understand how unique rocks make up this mysterious planet.
Curiosity rover makes ‘arguably the most exciting organic detection to date on Mars’
03-31-2025
CNN — The NASA Curiosity rover has detected the largest organic molecules found to date on Mars, opening a window into the red planet’s past. The newly detected compounds suggest complex organic chemistry may have occurred in the planet’s past — the kind necessary for the origin of life, according to new research. EAPS's own Briony Horgan was quoted in the article.
Preparing for Artemis: NASA's Geology Training for Lunar Exploration
03-27-2025
NASA — From the volcanic fields of Arizona to the lunar-like landscape of Iceland, NASA scientists are actively preparing astronauts and mission support teams for conducting science on the Moon. Kelsey Prissel, assistant professor of EAPS, was a member of the JETT5 Science Team and appears in this video by NASA.
Perseverance rover marks four years on Mars with 500,000th laser shot
03-13-2025
On the fourth anniversary of its landing on Mars, NASA's Perseverance rover marked a significant milestone. It has now fired its 500,000th laser shot using the SuperCam instrument. This accomplishment highlights its longevity and success, developed under the guidance of Purdue University professor Roger Wiens.
Can the Human Body Endure a Voyage to Mars?
03-13-2025
The New Yorker — In the coming years, an unprecedented number of people will leave planet Earth—but it’s becoming increasingly clear that deep space will make us sick. The Purdue Mars Desert Research Station Crews were covered in the article.
Advancing Space Exploration at Purdue: Not Afraid to Go First
03-12-2025
The College of Science in combination with the College of Engineering held the first of many collaborative conventions at Purdue University to help the world boldly explore the vast universe around us. We call "dibs" in being the first to go, and we plan to stay the course. At Purdue, we'd like to play a part in every mission. The Advancing Space Exploration at Purdue convention was set up to help faculty and staff collaborate on our next giant leaps.
Unburied treasure: Rover researchers find unexpected minerals on Mars
03-05-2025
Pale rocks on the red planet tell stories of a watery history and hint at possibilities of life. EAPS's own Mars expert Roger Wiens and his team, including the rover Perseverance, discovered fascinating rocks incorporating kaolinite and spinel on Mars’ surface that form in warm, wet environments but the origin of the rocks remains a mystery.