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Space Science

York U planetary scientist puts Mars lake theory on ice with new study that offers alternate explanation

For years, scientists have been debating what might lay under the Martian planet’s south polar cap after bright radar reflections were discovered and initially attributed to water. But now, a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters, led by planetary scientists from the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University, puts that theory to rest and demonstrates […]

Faculty of Science Prof. Scott Menary: York as a valued global contributor in physics

Scott Menary discusses the breakthrough that changed the way scientists look at the universe and contemplates York’s earning its spot on an international stage. Physics Professor Scott Menary, of York University’s Faculty of Science, contributed to a game-changing research endeavour at CERN ─ the subject of a 2016 article in the journal Nature ─ further establishing […]

York space scientists reflect on the last flight of Atlantis, the end of NASA’s space shuttle program and what the future holds

York University’s Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering in the Faculty of Science & Engineering has a long history with NASA’s shuttle program. A new video highlights significant milestones in this history and includes reflections from a number of the University’s space scientists. Here are Professor Emeritus of Space Science Gordon Shepherd, Professor of […]

York University's rover team finishes second in Mars challenge

The York University Rover Team – just call them YURTs – maintained their record of excellence at the international University Rover Challenge (URC) on the weekend, finishing in second place to a team from Poland in the hot deserts of Utah. (CBC also covered the team's success). Above: Members of the York University Rover Team […]

York study finds fog, thick haze, and 'diamond dust' on Mars

Nights on Mars are shrouded in icy fog that turns to scattered precipitation, according to a new study of weather near the red planet's north pole, wrote National Geographic News online April 4: The finding marks the first time that fog has been directly observed on the neighbouring world, adding to evidence that modern Mars […]

Dean Janusz Kozinkski on the Faculty of Science & Engineering's India mission objectives

Researchers from the Faculty of Science & Engineering at Toronto's York University are currently touring India on a mission to establish key partnerships and collaborations with Indian research organizations and educational institutions, wrote Mumbai's The Hindu Business Line Feb. 27. The delegation of 12 researchers is visiting several top-tier universities and institutes across the country such […]

York in the World: Researchers begin nine-day mission to India

A delegation of researchers from York's Faculty of Science & Engineering will begin a nine-day mission to India today to establish partnerships and collaborations with the country's researchers. The group will visit seven top-tier universities and research institutes during their trip. Along the way they will stop at the India Institute of Technology's facilities in Mumbai (Bombay) and Madras, […]

November is Research Month: York celebrates with a series of events

Research Month celebrates the achievements and diversity of York University’s research community. Throughout November, the Vari Hall Rotunda will play host to displays and demonstrations featuring our faculty and graduate researchers. Drop by between 10 am and 2 pm each Wednesday to learn what York's researchers are doing. The Research Month index on York's Research […]

Professor Jim Whiteway recognized for contributions to space science

The Vancouver Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is holding its annual International Astronomy Day event in conjunction with [an event at Simon Fraser University (SFU)], wrote BC’s Burnaby Now Sept. 11. The society will host guest speaker Jim Whiteway of York University for a lecture at 4pm. “He’s a big-time Canadian space […]

Lab technologist brings little pieces of Mars to York, promotes space research

Nick Balaskas is on a mission. He wants to set a world record for the number of people who have walked on Mars. Although technically he would need only one person to achieve his goal, Balaskas has set his sights on 500 – a round number he developed based on the total number of individuals […]

North York Mirror covers York's involvement in 2016 Mars mission to search for life

York University researchers will take part in a mission probing Mars’ atmosphere for methane sources in an effort to find evidence of life on the planet, wrote the North York Mirror Aug. 24: Researchers from the Faculty of Science & Engineering will be part of a team of Canadian scientists responsible for a device that […]

York researchers to develop atmospheric modelling instruments for 2016 Mars mission

York University researchers will participate in a mission probing the atmosphere of Mars for sources of methane, part of the ongoing search for evidence of life on the red planet. Researchers from the Faculty of Science & Engineering will be part of a team of Canadian scientists responsible for a device that will measure and […]

Online experience brings the night sky to the home computer

Have you ever wondered what the cratered surface of the moon looks like close up? Do you dream of seeing the rings of Saturn or the Great Red Spot on Jupiter? The York University Observatory offers a real-time link to its telescopes every Monday evening that offers everyone a glimpse of what is new and exciting in […]

York students place second in international 2010 University Mars Rover Challenge

York University has a great track record in designing instruments, satellites and other devices for space exploration. This year, York students compeated in the fourth annual University  Rover Challenge, which designs and builds the next generation of Mars rovers. The teams faced off in Utah's Mars Desert Research Station. Last year, York won the competition. […]

Snow-discovering spacecraft finally bites the Martian dust

The Phoenix is dead and this time it won’t rise again. On May 24, NASA released photos of the Mars Phoenix lander that finally ended even the faintest hope that the York-designed weather instruments on board the spacecraft would come to life again. The photos show that the lander’s solar panels appear to have collapsed […]

Prof researches winds on quasars billions of light years away

Like an archeologist of the universe, York physics & astronomy Professor Patrick Hall in the Faculty of Science & Engineering studies quasars already dead for billions of years by the time their light reaches the lens of a telescope here on Earth. Hall’s quest is to uncover the nature of quasar winds and what impact they […]

Video: Senior Lecturer Paul Delaney on Hubble's 20th anniversary and scientific impact

Paul Delaney, senior lecturer and director of the Division of Natural Science in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, spoke to CTV News about the Hubble telescope's 20th anniversary and its impact on science. You can watch Delaney's full interview on CTV's Web site, which runs for approximately six minutes. Here's an excerpt: The Hubble […]