The Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education (The Hawking Center) is a joint venture of the University of Central Florida and Space Florida that conducts and facilitates research in microgravity sciences. The Center makes use of parabolic airplane flights, drop towers, suborbital rocket flights, and orbital flights. The Center’s educational activities include providing hands-on training and experience to college and university undergraduate and graduate students in the design, fabrication, and operation of space experiments.
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Planetary Rings
Planetary rings, like those of Saturn, are made up of countless particles ranging in size from micron-sized dust up to miniature moons tens of meters across. These particles collide frequently, but at …
Planetesimal Formation
Planetesimals are the building blocks of planets. Asteroids and comets are leftover planetesimals from the time of formation of our own solar system. The formation of km-sized or larger planetesimals remains …
Small Bodies
Asteroids, Comets, and Small Moons Asteroids are the rocky leftovers from the formation of the solar system. The largest asteroid, Ceres, and a few others, are dwarf planets, but the overwhelming majority …
Walkabout the Galaxy Podcast
An irreverent and informative tour of the latest, greatest, and most interesting discoveries in astronomy.
