{"id":4918,"date":"2024-05-03T15:35:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T15:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/?post_type=purduetoday&#038;p=4918"},"modified":"2025-04-22T19:22:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T23:22:10","slug":"discover-purdues-latest-and-greatest-in-space-sciences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/2024\/Q2\/discover-purdues-latest-and-greatest-in-space-sciences","title":{"rendered":"Discover Purdue\u2019s latest and greatest in space sciences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Celebrate the wonder of space with this collection of the most recent and impactful news from Purdue University\u2019s space research labs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large full-width\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/johnson-impactLO.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Featured by the Association of American Universities, Phys.org, Universe Today and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Brandon Johnson\u2019s work uses impact craters to further our knowledge of planetary bodies\u2019 history and composition. (Purdue University photo\/Rebecca Robinos)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Icy impacts: Gauging thickness of ice on Europa brings science closer to finding possibility of life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Europa, one of Jupiter\u2019s rocky moons, is home to huge saltwater oceans and thought to be a potential home to nonterrestrial life \u2014 but this search for life is dependent on scientists knowing the depth of the icy shell encasing Europa\u2019s entire surface. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brandon Johnson\u2019s lab has been able to determine the depth of that shell using his expertise in crater modeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scientist<\/strong>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eaps.purdue.edu\/people\/profile\/johns477.html\">Brandon Johnson<\/a>, associate professor of planetary science, \u201cImpact Cratering\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2024\/Q1\/icy-impacts-planetary-scientists-use-physics-and-images-of-impact-craters-to-gauge-the-thickness-of-ice-on-europa.html\">Learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-home-video-embed \">\n        <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-small has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-16by9\">\n            \n            <div class=\"purdue-home-cta-card purdue-home-cta-card--horizontal purdue-home-cta-card--video\">\n    <div class=\"image is-16by9\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"purdue-home-background-image\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/IzdDt3_U8Ss\/maxresdefault.jpg\" \/>\n            <\/div>\n    <div class=\"flex-container flex-container--align-center lyt-playbtn\">\n        <button class=\"playbtn\">\n            <span class=\"cta-link purdue-home-cta-card__link\">Watch Video<\/span>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"cta-icon cta-icon--play\" src=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/themes\/purdue-home-theme\/imgs\/play_icon_gold.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        <\/button>                                       \n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"iframe-container is-sr-only\">\n        <div class=\"youtube-video\" id=\"IzdDt3_U8Ss\" data-title=\"\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IzdDt3_U8Ss?rel=0&#038;autoplay=1&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;mute=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rover captures a Martian eclipse. Perseverance team lead at Purdue explains<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Perseverance rover recently captured images of a solar eclipse on Mars. In this video, Briony Horgan explains the science behind eclipses on Mars, Earth and other planets \u2014 and why Earth\u2019s eclipses are particularly special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scientist<\/strong>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eaps.purdue.edu\/people\/profile\/briony.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Briony Horgan<\/a>, associate professor of planetary science; tactical science lead with NASA on the Mars Perseverance rover mission, \u201cPlanetary Geology\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IzdDt3_U8Ss\">learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large full-width\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/johnson-makingclouds.gif\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Atmospheric scientist and cloud expert Alexandria Johnson creates clouds in her lab to study atmospheric phenomena on Earth and in faraway skies. (Purdue University photo\/Kelsey Lefever)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Association of American Universities \u2014 Featured Research<br>Cloudy science, clear insights: Atmospheric scientist studies clouds\u2019 causes and effects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alexandria Johnson\u2019s expertise in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AAUniversities\/status\/1779605562285559816\">cloud physics<\/a>&nbsp;provides vital information to many fields, from the way microplastics are affecting weather patterns to the study of faraway exoplanets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the most powerful telescopes have reached across the universe, sometimes Johnson\u2019s ability to parse an exoplanet\u2019s own densely clouded sky is the best way to see what\u2019s happening on the farthest of these celestial bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf we want to understand these enshrouded exoplanets, we need to understand the clouds. That understanding gives us insights into the atmospheric chemistry at work, atmospheric circulations and the climate of these exoplanets,\u201d Johnson says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scientist<\/strong>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eaps.purdue.edu\/people\/profile\/ablanch.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alexandria Johnson<\/a>, assistant professor of planetary science, \u201cPlanetary Atmospheres; Cloud Microphysics\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aau.edu\/research-scholarship\/featured-research-topics\/cloudy-science-clear-insights-atmospheric-scientist\">learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>In the news<\/em><br>Popular Science:&nbsp;<\/strong>Where do all those colors in space telescope images come from? How scientists make vibrant spectacles out of grayscale blobs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Images of Cassiopeia A, captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope and attributed to Purdue associate professor Danny Milisavljevic and his team, continue to hold our imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related:<\/strong>&nbsp;See Professor Milisavljevic talk about exploding supernovae, why the JWST is special and capturing \u201cstar stuff\u201d on camera on \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/dC1-qgR7YO0?si=Ywk77AErUBVruLir\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">60 Minutes<\/a>\u201d in April 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/webb\/nasas-webb-stuns-with-new-high-definition-look-at-exploded-star\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NASA\u2019s Webb stuns with new high-definition look at exploded star<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2024\/Q1\/stellar-forensics-clearest-ever-look-at-cassiopeia-a-sheds-light-into-the-heart-of-an-exploding-star.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stellar forensics: Clearest ever look at Cassiopeia A sheds light into the heart of an exploding star<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scientist<\/strong>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/physics.purdue.edu\/people\/faculty\/dmilisav.php\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Danny Milisavljevic<\/a>, associate professor of physics and astronomy, \u201cSupernovae\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Purdue University is proud to be the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/z_1UqAX7z9s\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Cradle of Astronauts<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;and to showcase its wide-ranging and historic relationship with space exploration on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/space\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Purdue in Space<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;hub.<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/science\/telescope-images\/\">learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Bonus story<\/em><br>Boilermakers get rare opportunity to conduct research at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For two-week terms, teams commit to living in a compact habitat in Utah\u2019s remote red dust desert \u2014 conserving their resources and conducting research designed to address real-life situations that future missions to Mars may face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo have something like MDRS, where you\u2019re actually getting exposure to practical problems that some space missions would face, is a phenomenal opportunity,\u201d says Jesus Meza Galvan, a PhD student in aerospace engineering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/stories.purdue.edu\/journey-to-mars-with-purdue-analog-astronauts\/\">learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About Purdue University<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue\u2019s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap \u2014 including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes \u2014 at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/president\/strategic-initiatives\">https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/president\/strategic-initiatives<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Celebrate the wonder of space with this collection of the most recent and impactful news from Purdue University\u2019s space research labs.&nbsp; Icy impacts: Gauging thickness of ice on Europa brings science closer to finding possibility of life Europa, one of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":4919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"department":[],"source":[29],"purdue_today_topic":[],"coauthors":[132],"class_list":["post-4918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","source-purdue-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4918"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14759,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4918\/revisions\/14759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4918"},{"taxonomy":"department","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/department?post=4918"},{"taxonomy":"source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/source?post=4918"},{"taxonomy":"purdue_today_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/purdue_today_topic?post=4918"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=4918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}