Planet Four: Terrains

Research Team

Klaus-Michael Aye - Michael is a research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmosphere and Space Physics since end of 2014. He worked on several space missions during his career, at LASP he worked most recently on calibration efforts for the MAVEN UV spectrometer and is currently working on cross-instrumental analyses of the Saturn rings using Cassini’s UV spectrometer and imager data. He is also a Co-Investigator on a NASA Solar System Workings grant to connect Planet Four results to general circulation models of the Martian atmosphere. One of his interests and the main motivation for this project is to apply modern statistical methods to the analysis of planetary science remote sensing data, using Citizen science results to guide machine learning techniques.

Candice Hansen - Candy is the Deputy Principal Investigator for the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Her area of interest is studying the seasonal CO2 polar cap of Mars. She continues to pursue that interest as a Co-Investigator on the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) being built to fly on ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. As a Co-Investigator on the Juno mission to Jupiter, launched in 2011, Dr. Hansen is responsible for the development and operation of the JunoCam outreach camera that will engage the public in planning images of Jupiter. Dr. Hansen retired from JPL in 2010 but continues in all her endeavors under the auspices of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson.

Anya Portyankina - Anya is a researcher at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado in Boulder. In 2005 she defended her PhD in Göttingen University on the topic “Atmosphere-surface vapor exchange and ices in the Martian polar regions.” After the thesis defense she carried on with planning scientific operations for Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) from Venus Express, analysis of data from High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board the European Mars Express and started participating in the work of High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. She uses a combination of computer modeling, data analysis and laboratory experiments to advance her primary scientific interests: studying behavior of ices on planetary bodies, their interactions with atmospheres and how ices are able to shape planetary surfaces into terrains we currently observe.

Meg Schwamb - Meg is a planetary scientist and astronomer currently involved in the Planet Four projects, and Comet Hunters for which she is project scientist. She currently is a lecturer in the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen's University Belfast. She studies small bodies in the Solar System, Mars, and exoplanets. Meg has a fondness for baking, soccer, and champagne.

Talk Moderators

John G Keegan (Kitharode) - John is a retired musician, astronomer and environmental scientist, living in the hills around Todmorden, West Yorkshire. He loves Beethoven, Bluegrass music, Rugby Union, and his dog (Brandy). He is currently making a study of ancient Greek musical notation. John is very keen on promoting Citizen Science (especially the Planet Four projects) and he is developing a number of presentations to take into schools.

Andy Martin (wassock) - Andy co-owns and runs a campsite near Bude having given up the life corporate for the sea, surf and starry skies of Cornwall. As a chemist Andy spent many years involved in the assessment of laboratory quality systems and the development of standards. These days he finds he has many more jobs to do and much less free time than when he was a wage slave, but can at least hear the sea through the window whilst viewing Mars on his screen.

Pete Titchin (p.titchin) - Pete is a retired Naval officer and maxillofacial surgeon living in South Devon. He specialised in meteorology and navigation in his seagoing days, and has enjoyed the citizen science projects over the last decade-especially the 7 years of the Planet Four projects. Present recreation and relaxation is taken care of by an aging yacht which he sails when ever he can.