In March, Jasper Halekas received a grant from NASA for $160,433 for "Lunar Vertex," a study led by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. The goal of the mission is to determine the origin of a unique, swirling feature on the moon's surface.

NASA has selected three investigation teams to join the agency’s Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) mission science team in studying Earth’s upper atmosphere, as well as five additional investigations, including one from the University of Iowa, that will be under consideration for inclusion in the mission. In an announcement on April 26, NASA said the MAGnetometers to Advance GDC (MAG) investigation, led by UI Assistant Professor David Miles, will receive $250,000 to conduct an approximately four-month study. At the end of this period, NASA will select up to two investigations to join the GDC mission.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy honored several students, faculty, and staff for their achievements on April 26 at the 2022 Awards Colloquium in 301 VAN.

Scientists at the University of Iowa have passed a critical review by NASA and will soon begin building two satellites to study the sun’s effects on earth’s magnetosphere.

Congratulations to six graduate students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy who successfully defended their theses in April!

University of Iowa associate professor Jasper Halekas was granted over $160,000 to further examine the surface of the moon’s magnetic field. The mission is expected to launch in 2024 for two weeks.

Kathy Kurth has been awarded the 2022 Hancher-Finkbine Staff Medallion, one of the most prestigious honors given at the University of Iowa.

Six staff members in the Department of Physics and Astronomy were honored on April 7 at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ 21st Annual Staff Recognition Celebration in the Iowa Memorial Union.