Laurence A. Soderblom received the 2014 Whipple Award at the 2014 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, held 15–19 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of planetary science.
Space & Planets
Posted inNews
NASA Hopes to Find Strong Indications of Life Beyond Earth Soon
With the search for water and habitable planetary bodies proceeding at an increasing pace, NASA scientists say they are getting closer to finding evidence of extraterrestrial life.
Posted inNews
Can Microbes Survive Multiple Trips into the Stratosphere?
Searching for life on Mars starts at home, with a balloon launch.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Particle Accelerator in Space Could Help Scientists Study Auroras
Researchers could launch an electron beam device into space to study the Earth's magnetic field and trigger artificial auroras and lightning.
Posted inScience Updates
Volatiles in Mars: Constraints, Questions, and Future Directions
Workshop on Volatiles in the Martian Interior; Houston, Texas, 3–4 November 2014
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Scientists Watch Solar Winds Blast Mercury's Magnetic Field
A NASA team used the MESSENGER spacecraft to analyze Mercury's magnetosphere during intense solar wind pressure.
Posted inScience Updates
Changing of the Guard: Satellite Will Warn Earth of Solar Storms
This summer, Earth gets a new guardian—the Deep Space Climate Observatory—to help warn astronauts and operators of critical planetary infrastructure about the Sun's raging magnetic storms.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Large-Scale Electric Currents May Flow Through Mercury’s Crust
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft discovered electric currents in Mercury's magnetosphere directed toward and away from the planet. Do the currents reach the planet? If so, where do they go?
Posted inScience Updates
A Suite of Software Analyzes Data on the Sphere
The software improves data analysis over small portions of a spherical planetary surface. Among other applications, it has helped track Greenland's ice loss over time.
Posted inNews
Dawn Spacecraft Enters into Orbit Around Dwarf Planet Ceres
A 16-month investigation of the dwarf planet Ceres could reveal a lot about the most massive body in the asteroid belt and could advance our understanding of the formation of terrestrial planets.