The launch of the SPHEREx spectrometry mission and PUNCH heliospheric mission, on a single rocket, was successful. All four PUNCHes and SPHEREx deployed from the second stage. SPHEREx, for one, has successfully communicated with the ground; the PUNCH team has… Read More »SPHEREx, PUNCH Up
…we continue with Day 3 (see also Days 1 and 2): Program (https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2025/technical_program/#20250310) Wednesday, March 12, 2025 Space Weathering https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2025/technical_program/?session_no=403Effect of Oxygen Ion Irradiation on the Visible, Infrared, and Raman Spectra of Phobos Candidate Materials: Implications on the Space Weathering… Read More »56th LPSC (2025): Wed, Day 3
Before we get to LPSC, there’s a German conference coming up soon: (deep breath) Towards New Frontiers: The Astrochemical Journey from Young Stellar Nurseries to Exoplanets, in Garching, next week. Yes, this is relevant as comets, (most) asteroids, and transition… Read More »Astrochemical New Frontiers Conference
The launch of SPHEREX has been pushed back to Tuesday night. For a quick rundown of (one of) the mission’s primary drivers, see this recent article in Science. Of course, the spacecraft and its spectrometer are useful for multiple investigations,… Read More »SPHEREx science, in Science
The February Astronomy & Astrophysics (vol. 694) still says “in progress”, despite it being March 1: de la Fuente Marcos, R. de León, J. Serra-Ricart, M. et al. Basaltic quasi-mini-moon: Characterizing 2024 PT5 with the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias… Read More »Note, Paper: Astrono-bodies & Astrophysics
Only one hit in PASP (Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific) for Feb (vol. 137 #2), but what a paper: Lu, J-Q. Fan, L-L. Cai, M-X. et al. Search Capability for Near-Earth Objects with the Wide-Field Survey Telescope … Read More »Note, Paper: Pacific Deep Dive
One in-scope paper in Planetary and Space Science, vol. 256 (Feb), and none in March: De Keyser, J. Edberg, N. J. T. Henri, P. H. et al. Optimal choice of closest approach distance for a comet flyby: Application to the… Read More »Note, Paper: Plan Sp Plans
It’s a bit much to lump in New Scientist with the lay press, but it’s certainly no peer-reviewed journal. I call MIT Technology Review the same. In the 8 Feb 2025 issue (vol. 265, No. 3529): Drake, Nadia Destination Phobos… Read More »New Scientist ‘SSSB’ News
This month’s Astronomical Journal (vol. 169 Number 2) is all about the (quasi-) comets: Kasuga, T. Comet 289P/Blanpain: Near perihelion Activity and the Phoenicids 54 ad95fdKurlander, J. A. Holman, M. J. Bernardinelli, P. H. et al. A Well-Characterized Survey for… Read More »Note, Paper: Activity Journal
One (significant) paper in the current Astrophysical Journal (Feb 10, Vol 980 #1): Angrisani, M. Palomba, E. Longobardo, et al. Spectral Variations across Latitudes on Asteroid (3200) Phaethon art. 127 ada60d If you aren’t already familiar with the object (3200) Phaethon, it’s… Read More »Note, Paper: Pre-Destiny