Welcome to the Planetary Systems Laboratory at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. We are located in Greenbelt, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC, in NASA's first science center, where our scientists are part of the world's largest Earth and space science research organization. These pages
will introduce you to our work exploring the bodies of our solar system and planets around other stars. You will find information about our research and instrument work, along with scientific data and links to original publications.
Titan may look a lot younger than it really is because its craters are getting erased, according to the first quantitative estimate of how much Titan's weather affects the surface.
For nearly 20 years, models have predicted circulation changes in Titan's atmosphere, but thanks to Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), built at Goddard, scientists have now observed this change directly.
Using an infrared instrument built at Goddard, scientists with NASA's Cassini mission have spotted a second Pac-Man-shaped feature in the Saturn system, this time on the moon Tethys.
In the aftermath of a massive storm on Saturn, data from the CIRS instrument on NASA's Cassini spacecraft reveal record-setting disturbances in the planet's upper atmosphere, including an unprecedented temperature change and a mysterious increase in the amount of ethylene.
Saturn's giant moon Titan hides inside a thick, smoggy atmosphere that cranks out methane and other hydrocarbons like a factory. New NASA-funded research estimates how long this chemical factory has been operating.
Researchers in the Planetary Systems Laboratory place special emphasis on study of the atmospheres of solar system bodies based on observations in the infrared spectral region. They investigate atmospheric physical processes in a broad context by comparing Earth's atmosphere to those of other planets. In addition, the Laboratory specializes in the design of novel optical and infrared instruments and detectors.
Scientists and Staff
A photo-roster for the Planetary System Laboratory's people is here.
Contact Us
Judy Banister
301.286.7215
Administrative Assistant [693]
General inquiries about the scientific programs at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center may be directed to the Office of Public Affairs at 1.301.286.8955.
