Her work helped her boss win the Nobel Prize. Now the spotlight is on her
Donna Elbert’s predictions about planetary magnetic fields deserve recognition, say UCLA researchers who have built on her work.
astronomy
Results
First underground radar images from Mars Perseverance rover reveal some surprises
The rover’s RIMFAX instrument, co-led by UCLA’s David Paige, has found unexpectedly tilted rock layers beneath the Jezero crater.
UCLA scientists discover places on the moon where it’s always ‘sweater weather’
People could potentially live and work in lunar pits and caves with steady temperatures in the 60s.
Dead star’s cannibalism of its planetary system is most far-reaching ever witnessed
UCLA-led research on a white dwarf 86 light-years from Earth sheds light on the systemic chaos that occurs when a star dies.
Q&A: Space physicist Jacob Bortnik on the new UCLA SPACE Institute
The UCLA professor speaks about why even non-scientists should be intrigued by space research and how the new organization will foster scholarly collaboration.
Prepare to go back in cosmic time at 132nd Faculty Research Lecture
UCLA astronomer Alice Shapley will discuss the origins of our galaxy in a virtual event, May 17.
4 billion-year-old relic from early solar system heading our way
The comet could be as large as 85 miles across but is not a threat, according to UCLA professor David Jewitt.
Ready for mission to International Space Station, alumna Jessica Watkins reflects on her journey so far
The astronaut, who earned a doctorate from UCLA in 2015, will be the first Black woman to complete a long-term mission on the ISS.
Jean-Luc Margot awarded SETI citizen science grant from the Planetary Society
The professor of Earth, planetary and space sciences will lead a radio astronomy search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
UCLA researchers discover source of super-fast ‘electron rain’
The rapid downpours, which can affect satellites and space travel, result from whistler waves affecting Earth’s magnetosphere, scientists say.
UCLA, JPL scientists observe mysterious death of a star emitting six rings
A red giant called V Hya is undergoing rapid evolution as it ends its life in a blaze of glory before shutting down energy production.
UCLA astronomers discover more than 300 possible new exoplanets
The findings were made possible by an algorithm developed by UCLA postdoctoral scholar Jon Zink.
Thanks to UCLA graduate student, a lunar honor for explorer Matthew Henson
Jordan Bretzfelder, a UCLA doctoral student, proposed the idea while completing a summer internship at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston.
Will it be safe for humans to fly to Mars?
Could the very timing of a mission help shield astronauts from dangerous radiation?
How long is a day on Venus? Scientists crack mysteries of our closest neighbor
Fifteen years of radar measurements by a UCLA-led team have provided critical data for understanding many of the planet’s fundamental properties.
A Search for Knowledge That Led Andrea Ghez to a Nobel Prize
How the fourth woman to win the prize in physics found the answer to a mystery in the stars.
Q&A: David Paige on the Feb. 18 Mars Perseverance landing
The UCLA planetary scientist is deputy principal investigator for one of the NASA rover’s experiments.
Andrea Ghez delivers Nobel Lecture, receives Nobel medal
In her talk, the UCLA astrophysicist answers the question, “How do you observe something you can’t see?” among many others.
Four professors named 2020 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
The association, which is the world’s largest scientific society, honored the UCLA faculty members for their efforts to advance science or its applications.
Scientific American: Andrea Ghez and the experiment nobody thought would work
The director of the Keck Observatory writes about how the UCLA astrophysicist overcame the doubters en route to her Nobel Prize.
Andrea Ghez wins 2020 Nobel Prize in physics
Ghez, who received the prize for her research into black holes, is the eighth UCLA faculty member to be named a Nobel laureate.
The full moon may not be protected by Earth’s magnetic field after all
Previous simulations suggested that astronauts on the surface would be safe during a full moon while it resides within the magnetosphere.
Trailblazing UCLA space physics professor receives trio of honors
Margaret Kivelson has been recognized by the Royal Society, Harvard University and University of Leicester.
Disintegration of a comet observed by UCLA astronomer
Images of C/2019 Y4 breaking into more than two dozen fragments in recent days were captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Astronomers discover class of strange objects near our galaxy’s enormous black hole
Co-author Andrea Ghez says the objects look like gas and behave like stars.