LASP
@laspatcu.bsky.social
The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder is at the forefront of space weather and climate monitoring, solar and planetary research, and the search for evidence of habitable worlds.
Need a weekend read? Learn more about the solar activity we witnessed in striking auroral fashion this week with LASP researcher Dr. Ryan French!
Did you witness the recent aurora borealis? Learn more about this phenomena from @laspatcu.bsky.social solar physicist Ryan French, who sheds light on the science behind the aurora and shares tips for the best firsthand experience.
https://bit.ly/4nUMb3R
https://bit.ly/4nUMb3R
Solar physicist explains this week's colorful Aurora Borealis over the United States
People in Colorado and across the United States saw glowing skies this week as a powerful solar storm shook Earth's atmosphere.
bit.ly
November 14, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Need a weekend read? Learn more about the solar activity we witnessed in striking auroral fashion this week with LASP researcher Dr. Ryan French!
Did you catch LASPian Dan Baker in this New York Times article? Learn more about the risks space weather poses to satellites here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/s...
Northern Lights Are Beautiful, but They’re Risky for Satellites
www.nytimes.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Did you catch LASPian Dan Baker in this New York Times article? Learn more about the risks space weather poses to satellites here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/s...
Listen to LASP Researcher Dr. Fran Bagenal on Maine Public Radio talking about the future of space science funding.
www.mainepublic.org/2025-11-06/f...
www.mainepublic.org/2025-11-06/f...
Funding for space missions hang in the balance with the government shutdown
Planetary science is in limbo during the government shutdown — things like analyzing asteroids, studying the magnetosphere of Jupiter, or better understanding Mars so that humans might one day visit.
www.mainepublic.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Listen to LASP Researcher Dr. Fran Bagenal on Maine Public Radio talking about the future of space science funding.
www.mainepublic.org/2025-11-06/f...
www.mainepublic.org/2025-11-06/f...
Didn’t catch a glimpse of the auroras in North America last week? Check them out with LASP researcher Dr. Ryan French on Fox Weather!
Traveler captures the Northern Lights on a flight to Chicago | Latest Weather Clips | FOX Weather
AURORA MAGIC: A passenger on a flight from Denver to Chicago captured illuminating photos of the Northern Lights on Wednesday. Dr. Ryan Finch, solar physicist,
www.foxweather.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Didn’t catch a glimpse of the auroras in North America last week? Check them out with LASP researcher Dr. Ryan French on Fox Weather!
Reposted by LASP
Solar Irradiance and What You Can Do With It: Astrophysikalisches Kolloquium with Gregory Kopp (@laspatcu.bsky.social, @colorado.edu)
📆 12.11., 3pm | SR 05.13 @uni-graz.at | All info 👇
📆 12.11., 3pm | SR 05.13 @uni-graz.at | All info 👇
Astrophysikalisches Kolloquium - astrophysics.uni-graz.at
astrophysics.uni-graz.at
November 6, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Solar Irradiance and What You Can Do With It: Astrophysikalisches Kolloquium with Gregory Kopp (@laspatcu.bsky.social, @colorado.edu)
📆 12.11., 3pm | SR 05.13 @uni-graz.at | All info 👇
📆 12.11., 3pm | SR 05.13 @uni-graz.at | All info 👇
Get to know our new director, Dr. Bethany Ehlmann!
youtu.be/C764kpSexxA
youtu.be/C764kpSexxA
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Get to know our new director, Dr. Bethany Ehlmann!
youtu.be/C764kpSexxA
youtu.be/C764kpSexxA
LASP is going big science with SmallSats! Learn how CUTE, a CubeSat the size of a cereal box, is studying exoplanet atmospheres and inspiring the future of space-based astronomy.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Startup pioneers subscription service for space-based astronomy
Blue Skies Space will sell data from its tiny, low-cost UV telescope
www.science.org
November 5, 2025 at 7:00 PM
LASP is going big science with SmallSats! Learn how CUTE, a CubeSat the size of a cereal box, is studying exoplanet atmospheres and inspiring the future of space-based astronomy.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Exciting news for the IMAP team today! The doors on LASP's IDEX instrument opened today! IDEX will study the composition of particles that were born in supernova explosions, giving scientists insight into the origins and evolution of our solar system.
Capturing stardust
A team at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) designed and built a new space instrument called the Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX). Part of NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and…
youtu.be
November 3, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Exciting news for the IMAP team today! The doors on LASP's IDEX instrument opened today! IDEX will study the composition of particles that were born in supernova explosions, giving scientists insight into the origins and evolution of our solar system.
Congrats to these amazing students! Learn more about their work and the scholarship named for LASP's first director here: lasp.colorado.edu/2025/10/21/s...
Six outstanding CU Boulder students awarded 2025 Charles A. Barth Scholarship in Space Research
The 2025 awardees for the Charles A. Barth scholarship have been named.
lasp.colorado.edu
November 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Congrats to these amazing students! Learn more about their work and the scholarship named for LASP's first director here: lasp.colorado.edu/2025/10/21/s...
Happy Halloween from LASP!
Usually, we use our Science On a Sphere to learn more about our terrific world, but today? Today, it's for celebrating the spookiest of holidays.
Usually, we use our Science On a Sphere to learn more about our terrific world, but today? Today, it's for celebrating the spookiest of holidays.
October 31, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Happy Halloween from LASP!
Usually, we use our Science On a Sphere to learn more about our terrific world, but today? Today, it's for celebrating the spookiest of holidays.
Usually, we use our Science On a Sphere to learn more about our terrific world, but today? Today, it's for celebrating the spookiest of holidays.
New LASP study alert! The study, published in Nature Astronomy, reveals the first evidence of multi-temperature CMEs from a young star, supporting the theory that massive CMEs from the early Sun may have influenced Earth's atmosphere, impacting the development of life. 📸 NAOJ
Discovery of multi-temperature coronal mass ejection signatures from a young solar analogue - Nature Astronomy
Observations of multi-temperature stellar eruptions from EK Draconis reveal a solar-like yet complex view of stellar coronal mass ejections. Such frequent, powerful events on the young Sun may have…
www.nature.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:03 PM
New LASP study alert! The study, published in Nature Astronomy, reveals the first evidence of multi-temperature CMEs from a young star, supporting the theory that massive CMEs from the early Sun may have influenced Earth's atmosphere, impacting the development of life. 📸 NAOJ
In 2008, the Cassini mission flew through the icy spray from the hidden ocean on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Now, a new analysis of the data from those fresh ice grains has revealed the presence of complex organic molecules.
Read it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Read it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Detection of organic compounds in freshly ejected ice grains from Enceladus’s ocean - Nature Astronomy
Fresh ice grains from Enceladus’s plume were analysed during the highest-speed fly-by of the Cassini spacecraft. Organic compounds with a range of chemical structures were discovered, suggesting…
www.nature.com
October 7, 2025 at 6:42 PM
In 2008, the Cassini mission flew through the icy spray from the hidden ocean on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Now, a new analysis of the data from those fresh ice grains has revealed the presence of complex organic molecules.
Read it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Read it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🌕 🔭 Please join us at our International Observe the Moon Night event, tomorrow, Saturday 10/4 from 6:30-9pm on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall.
View the moon through our high power telescope while talking with scientists about lunar science and LASP's recent and upcoming missions.
#observethemoon
View the moon through our high power telescope while talking with scientists about lunar science and LASP's recent and upcoming missions.
#observethemoon
October 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM
🌕 🔭 Please join us at our International Observe the Moon Night event, tomorrow, Saturday 10/4 from 6:30-9pm on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall.
View the moon through our high power telescope while talking with scientists about lunar science and LASP's recent and upcoming missions.
#observethemoon
View the moon through our high power telescope while talking with scientists about lunar science and LASP's recent and upcoming missions.
#observethemoon
🚀 We hope to see you in Sydney for #IAC2025!
LASP is dedicated to science-led, mission-driven innovation: from SmallSats to global partnerships like INSPIRE. We don't just build hardware — we partner, train, and inspire. Visit Booth 118 to explore collaboration and advance space science together.
LASP is dedicated to science-led, mission-driven innovation: from SmallSats to global partnerships like INSPIRE. We don't just build hardware — we partner, train, and inspire. Visit Booth 118 to explore collaboration and advance space science together.
September 28, 2025 at 7:00 AM
🚀 We hope to see you in Sydney for #IAC2025!
LASP is dedicated to science-led, mission-driven innovation: from SmallSats to global partnerships like INSPIRE. We don't just build hardware — we partner, train, and inspire. Visit Booth 118 to explore collaboration and advance space science together.
LASP is dedicated to science-led, mission-driven innovation: from SmallSats to global partnerships like INSPIRE. We don't just build hardware — we partner, train, and inspire. Visit Booth 118 to explore collaboration and advance space science together.
🚀 IMAP has launched! When it reaches its orbit 1 million miles from Earth, IMAP will study the Sun, including the LASP-built IDEX instrument that will study interstellar dust. Huge thanks to our partners and the LASP mission team. No one gets to space alone. Congrats, IMAP team! 📸 NASA/LASP
September 24, 2025 at 4:00 PM
🚀 IMAP has launched! When it reaches its orbit 1 million miles from Earth, IMAP will study the Sun, including the LASP-built IDEX instrument that will study interstellar dust. Huge thanks to our partners and the LASP mission team. No one gets to space alone. Congrats, IMAP team! 📸 NASA/LASP
Reposted by LASP
What’s drifting into our solar system from beyond the stars? 🌌
CU Boulder’s @laspatcu.bsky.social has built an instrument to catch interstellar dust, tiny messengers from the galaxy beyond.
https://bit.ly/420DJIo
CU Boulder’s @laspatcu.bsky.social has built an instrument to catch interstellar dust, tiny messengers from the galaxy beyond.
https://bit.ly/420DJIo
Space instrument launching this week to collect stardust
A new instrument built at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder will capture tiny particles streaming into our solar system from
bit.ly
September 23, 2025 at 1:00 AM
What’s drifting into our solar system from beyond the stars? 🌌
CU Boulder’s @laspatcu.bsky.social has built an instrument to catch interstellar dust, tiny messengers from the galaxy beyond.
https://bit.ly/420DJIo
CU Boulder’s @laspatcu.bsky.social has built an instrument to catch interstellar dust, tiny messengers from the galaxy beyond.
https://bit.ly/420DJIo
Can you guess who's set to launch this week? 🥳 🚀 🛰️ This CBS Colorado report is a hint! #IDEX #IMAP www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXN8...
CU Boulder helps researchers study oldest part of the solar system
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder campus are helping researchers study the oldest part of the solar system.
For video licensing inquiries, contact: licensing@veritone.com
www.youtube.com
September 22, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Can you guess who's set to launch this week? 🥳 🚀 🛰️ This CBS Colorado report is a hint! #IDEX #IMAP www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXN8...
Happy National Postdoc Appreciation Week! 🧑🎓 🔭 🥳
LASP loves our postdocs! At our lab, they do everything from designing small satellites to building space instruments and analyzing data from other planets.
#nationalpostdocappreciationweek
LASP loves our postdocs! At our lab, they do everything from designing small satellites to building space instruments and analyzing data from other planets.
#nationalpostdocappreciationweek
September 19, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Happy National Postdoc Appreciation Week! 🧑🎓 🔭 🥳
LASP loves our postdocs! At our lab, they do everything from designing small satellites to building space instruments and analyzing data from other planets.
#nationalpostdocappreciationweek
LASP loves our postdocs! At our lab, they do everything from designing small satellites to building space instruments and analyzing data from other planets.
#nationalpostdocappreciationweek
What does the future of exoplanet exploration look like? 🌿 💧 🤔
Check out this KUNC interview with LASP Researcher Dr. Kevin France about what's happening in astrophysics observatories today, and what we're developing for tomorrow.
www.kunc.org/podcast/inth...
Check out this KUNC interview with LASP Researcher Dr. Kevin France about what's happening in astrophysics observatories today, and what we're developing for tomorrow.
www.kunc.org/podcast/inth...
A new space telescope will search for other planets that could host life. This CU astronomer recently joined the search
Astronomers searching for Earth-like planets outside our solar system will soon get a boost from a new space telescope. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder are working with NASA to…
www.kunc.org
September 18, 2025 at 4:03 PM
What does the future of exoplanet exploration look like? 🌿 💧 🤔
Check out this KUNC interview with LASP Researcher Dr. Kevin France about what's happening in astrophysics observatories today, and what we're developing for tomorrow.
www.kunc.org/podcast/inth...
Check out this KUNC interview with LASP Researcher Dr. Kevin France about what's happening in astrophysics observatories today, and what we're developing for tomorrow.
www.kunc.org/podcast/inth...
Did we spot IDEX on the cover of the @dailycamera.com yesterday? We think we did! Go IMAP!
www.dailycamera.com/2025/09/16/c...
www.dailycamera.com/2025/09/16/c...
CU space dust device to study origins, evolution of solar system
A space instrument built by the University of Colorado Boulder will launch aboard a NASA spacecraft on Sept. 23 to detect and analyze interstellar dust particles in space.
www.dailycamera.com
September 17, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Did we spot IDEX on the cover of the @dailycamera.com yesterday? We think we did! Go IMAP!
www.dailycamera.com/2025/09/16/c...
www.dailycamera.com/2025/09/16/c...
Are you joining us in Fairbanks this week for the 2025 Sun-Earth Symposium? 🌞 🌍 🐻
We're excited to see our partners across the solar science world this week to dive deep into the latest and greatest research, technology, and missions!
We're excited to see our partners across the solar science world this week to dive deep into the latest and greatest research, technology, and missions!
September 15, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Are you joining us in Fairbanks this week for the 2025 Sun-Earth Symposium? 🌞 🌍 🐻
We're excited to see our partners across the solar science world this week to dive deep into the latest and greatest research, technology, and missions!
We're excited to see our partners across the solar science world this week to dive deep into the latest and greatest research, technology, and missions!
Curious about a leader in Mars research's views on future exploration? LASP Senior Researcher and former MAVEN mission Principal Investigator Bruce Jakosky shares insights in his SpaceNews op-ed.
spacenews.com/sending-astr...
spacenews.com/sending-astr...
Sending astronauts to the moon and Mars must be more than a photo op
The only way to create a sustainable program of exploring the moon and Mars with humans, beyond the initial flush of achievement, is by fully integrating science into our planning. […]
spacenews.com
September 8, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Curious about a leader in Mars research's views on future exploration? LASP Senior Researcher and former MAVEN mission Principal Investigator Bruce Jakosky shares insights in his SpaceNews op-ed.
spacenews.com/sending-astr...
spacenews.com/sending-astr...
Dr. Bethany Ehlmann is a Buff!
Dr. Ehlmann has started as LASP’s Director. In addition to leading us, she holds faculty roles in the Research and Innovation Office, the Department of Geological Sciences, and the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences. lasp.colorado.edu/people/betha...
Dr. Ehlmann has started as LASP’s Director. In addition to leading us, she holds faculty roles in the Research and Innovation Office, the Department of Geological Sciences, and the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences. lasp.colorado.edu/people/betha...
September 2, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Dr. Bethany Ehlmann is a Buff!
Dr. Ehlmann has started as LASP’s Director. In addition to leading us, she holds faculty roles in the Research and Innovation Office, the Department of Geological Sciences, and the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences. lasp.colorado.edu/people/betha...
Dr. Ehlmann has started as LASP’s Director. In addition to leading us, she holds faculty roles in the Research and Innovation Office, the Department of Geological Sciences, and the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences. lasp.colorado.edu/people/betha...
Happy back to school! Here's the thing about LASPians, we've been about space since day one. #backtoschool
August 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Happy back to school! Here's the thing about LASPians, we've been about space since day one. #backtoschool
Guess who turns 48 today!
Voyager 2 launched August 20, 1977, starting our (long) journey to interstellar space! LASP contributed the Photopolarimeter Subsystem on both Voyager missions, which studied Jupiter, Saturn, and the Rings of Saturn.
#Voyager2 #NASA
lasp.colorado.edu/missions/voy...
Voyager 2 launched August 20, 1977, starting our (long) journey to interstellar space! LASP contributed the Photopolarimeter Subsystem on both Voyager missions, which studied Jupiter, Saturn, and the Rings of Saturn.
#Voyager2 #NASA
lasp.colorado.edu/missions/voy...
August 20, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Guess who turns 48 today!
Voyager 2 launched August 20, 1977, starting our (long) journey to interstellar space! LASP contributed the Photopolarimeter Subsystem on both Voyager missions, which studied Jupiter, Saturn, and the Rings of Saturn.
#Voyager2 #NASA
lasp.colorado.edu/missions/voy...
Voyager 2 launched August 20, 1977, starting our (long) journey to interstellar space! LASP contributed the Photopolarimeter Subsystem on both Voyager missions, which studied Jupiter, Saturn, and the Rings of Saturn.
#Voyager2 #NASA
lasp.colorado.edu/missions/voy...