Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch

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The Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch studies the coupled Sun-Earth system and the terrestrial planets and icy satellites of our solar system. Our heliophysics portfolio includes instrumentation development, sounding rocket flight, and research focusing on energy transfer across physical scales throughout the solar atmosphere.  Our planetary science portfolio includes research on the origin, composition, and evolution of terrestrial planetary bodies, focusing on geological, geophysical, and related models, experiments, and observations conducted in the field, laboratory, and via analysis of remotely sensed data from space-based missions.

Advances in Mercurian and Lunar Research

December 13, 2023

Alexis Rodriguez from NASA’s Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch and his team have made a groundbreaking discovery on Mercury. They found potential salt glaciers, indicating the presence of volatile-rich environments similar to Earth’s extreme habitats like the Atacama Desert. This …

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Sunspot Cycle 25 Paper Published Online

December 13, 2023

“Simple Methods for Predicting the Size and Timing of Sunspot Cycle 25” , authored by Robert Wilson, has recently been published online at https://aasjournal.org/index.php/journal/issue/view/13. The paper describes several simple methods for estimating the main features of an ongoing solar cycle …

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NASA Scientist Visits Russellville Arkansas to Discuss Total Solar Eclipse Educational Outreach Opportunities

December 12, 2023

On Monday, April 8, 2024, the Moon will pass between the Sun and Earth, providing an opportunity for those in the path of the Moon’s shadow to see a total solar eclipse, including the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. With …

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Solar Cycle 25 Status

October 31, 2023

Smoothed monthly mean sunspot number R for solar cycle 25, the present ongoing cycle, has now surpassed the maximum amplitude observed for solar cycle 24 (116.4 at t = 64 months into the cycle, April 2014) and it continues increasing …

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NMLS Leadership Change

October 30, 2023

Heidi Haviland (ST13) takes over in the role of Principal Investigator (PI) for the Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface (NMLS) instrument. NMLS was originally selected as a part of the NASA Provided Lunar Payloads (NPLP) Program in 2019 to …

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