SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has awarded a Le Moyne professor more than $300,000 for research on ancient asteroids.
Christopher Bass will use the money for work on the research project titled, “Investigating the Basaltic Nature of Newly-Identified V-Type Asteroids by the Gaia Survey.” The effort will explore the origins of rare volcanic asteroids using data from NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) in Hawaii.
The grant funding comes through NASA’s Mentorship and Opportunities in STEM with Academic Institutions for Community Success (MOSAICS) program. STEM is short for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
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With more than 20 submissions, Le Moyne was one of only eight colleges and universities in the nation selected for this funding, the school noted.
In collaboration with Driss Takir, planetary scientist with the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Bass and his student research team will study the mineral composition of 24 V-type asteroids recently identified by the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission.
These basaltic (having a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock) asteroids may preserve clues to the formation of the early solar system and help scientists understand whether multiple differentiated planetary bodies once existed beyond the well-known asteroid Vesta, Le Moyne said.
“This project represents a major step forward for Le Moyne’s growing astronomy program,” Bass said in the school’s announcement. “The NASA MOSAICS award gives us access to world-class facilities and expertise – and more importantly, gives our students a direct pathway into space science.”
Starting during this semester and continuing over the two-year project Le Moyne students will conduct observations using the SpeX spectrograph at the NASA IRTF. They’ll analyze infrared spectra with software and compare asteroid compositions to known meteorite samples. Students will also be involved in summer research, including travel to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston for hands-on training and mentorship.
The project culminates with students presenting their findings at a national scientific conference and contributing to a peer-reviewed publication.
Le Moyne went on to say the NASA funding not only enhances research capacity at the school but also supports student involvement in NASA-aligned STEM careers — “particularly for first-generation college students and those who may not otherwise benefit from a career-relevant experience to perform research in NASA-relevant fields in an environment where mentorship is recognized, encouraged and valued,” Le Moyne said.
