Completion of the “Sand and Dust as Key Factors in Mars Exploration” Project

The research project conducted under the POB Anthropocene – Strategic Program Excellence Initiative at Jagiellonian University has concluded. The research involved scientists from Jagiellonian University (from the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, and Geography and Geology) as well as collaborators from Warsaw University of Technology. The team’s research has been presented in renowned scientific journals and at international conferences.

Hobby Challenge Event

Members of the Planetary Lab participated in the “Hobby Challenge” event promoting scientific hobbies, organized by FabLab Małopolska. Attendees could see, among other things, how Mars maps are created, how Martian rovers work, and take part in a board and card game about exploring the Red Planet. Dr. Joanna Kozakiewcz from the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science at Jagiellonian University gave a presentation on discovering extraterrestrial worlds.

„Planetary Geology” course

Starting from the 2023/2024 academic year, a new course “Planetary Geology” has been launched in the undergraduate Geology program, taught by members of the Interfaculty Program in Planetary Research and invited specialists from the Institute of Geological Sciences at Jagiellonian University and other scientific institutes.

ASIM

Our group from the Astronomical Observatory joined the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) project to use the Earth-bound WERA project (with AGH University of Science and technology; http://www.oa.uj.edu.pl/elf/index/projects3.htm) measurements to extend the multi instrumental optical-X-ray-gamma-ray studies of ASIM from space. ASIM (https://asim.dk) is an ESA instrument suite on the International Space Station (ISS) for measurements of lightning, Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), and Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs).