UArizona scientists took part in an international planetary defense exercise that used asteroid Apophis – a large, potentially hazardous asteroid – to test the planetary defense response chain.

Dr. Russell is an oceanographer, climate scientist, and Distinguished Professor at the University of Arizona. 

Construction has begun on a tall, hangar-like "high bay" facility, where researchers can build and test hardware for experiments and missions designed to fly at extremely high altitudes sometimes referred to as the "edge of space."

After years of anticipation, the international Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration presented the first image of the black hole located at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy, called Sagittarius A*. Scientists had previously suggested the presence of a black hole at this location, but there was no direct visual evidence until now. 

Snapping an image of a black hole is just the beginning, says researcher Chi-Kwan "CK" Chan. To really understand the image, it must be compared with black hole simulations. UArizona worked with partners to create the world's largest simulation library.

UArizona astrophysicists Feryal Özel and Dimitrios Psaltis identified Sagittarius A* as an ideal target black hole more than 20 years ago. They call it a "Goldilocks black hole," with an environment "just right" for capturing an image.