Anomalous luminous phenomena - recurring visible plasma events at fixed geographic locations, reported globally over centuries as earth lights, earthquake lights, and spook lights - lack a unified physical classification system and predictive framework. We present the Geological Pathway Diversity Model (GPDM), which proposes that these phenomena share a common underlying mechanism - Freund's p-hole charge carrier activation in stressed crystalline rock - implemented through geologically diverse amplifier structures. The GPDM classifies sites into five primary types based on geological amplifier character: Type I (sulfide-amplified continuous discharge), Type I-S (serpentinite/piezomagnetic discharge), Type II (episodic locked fault activation), Type II-T (thermal-assisted arid fault discharge), and Type III (metallic terminal charge-focusing discharge), with formal exclusion categories for organic chemiluminescent emission (Type IV) and infrasound-induced perceptual events (Type IV-A). Three reference sites are fully characterized at peer-reviewed geological resolution: Hessdalen (Norway, Type I), Brown Mountain (North Carolina, USA, Type II), and La Peña de Juaica (Colombia, Type III). A global registry of 25+ candidate sites across four continents is presented with classification confidence assessments. The GPDM further proposes an electromagnetic modulation layer in which discharge timing is controlled by telluric current intensity, Schumann resonance state, and the global atmospheric electric circuit - all driven by solar activity and geomagnetic variation. A novel falsifiable dual lead-time prediction is presented: discharge events should correlate with elevated Kp index (≥5) at 24-48 hours and anomalous Schumann resonance third or fourth mode amplitude at 1-7 days preceding the event. A companion Subtraction Methodology for investigative field practice is described. The GPDM is presented as a hypothesis-generating classification framework pending validation through coordinated multi-instrument monitoring at reference sites.

We present the results of observations of interstellar object (ISO) 3I/ATLAS close to its perihelion (October 29, 2025) by MAJIS, the VISNIR imaging spectrometer (Poulet et al.,2024) on-board the JUICE ESA mission to Jupiter (Grasset et al., 2013). ISO’s provide a unique opportunity for investigating the properties of planetesimals from distant planetary systems. 3I/ATLAS became exceptionally active close to perihelion, which made possible detailed spectroscopic investigations in the spectral range of MAJIS, 0.5 – 5.63 µm (two channels, VISNIR from 0.5 to 2.35 µm and IR from 2.28 µm to 5.54 µm)Observing 3I/ATLAS with MAJIS was a challenge as while JUICE was relatively close to its trajectory, the minimum distance during observations was ~ 66 million km, so that the expected MAJIS signal levels were very small (a few e- to a few 10 e- for the dust continuum, up to a few 100 e- for H2O and CO2 emissions from the coma). H1RG detectors had been selected by MAJIS so as to provide adequate performances for weak signals of interest in the Jupiter system, in particular those for rings and exospheres. All observations of 3I/ATLAS were performed using a dedicated “low signal” readout mode with an integration time of 2 s and on-board co-adding of 4 acquisitions. Each observation generated image cubes with 400 x 23 spatial samples and 508 spectral samples for each channel. Given the time available, two such observations were performed for the first 3 slots, eight observations for the last slot (Table 1).Table 1: 3I/ATLAS MAJIS observations; Rh: heliocentric distance of 3I/ATLAS; D: distance from Juice to 3I/ATLAS; sampling: projected MAJIS IFOV (0.15 mrad) at the comet distance D (spatial sampling of the coma) As shown by Fig. 1, H2O and CO2 molecular emissions were unambiguously detected during the first slot (2025/11/02). The dispersion for MAJIS data elements away from the comet is ~ 10 e- in both spectral ranges, in line with the noise model, so that the SNR is in the range of 15 to 20 for the brighest spectral samples, making it possible to determine with high accuracy the column content of H2O and CO2.Figure 1: H2O (left) and CO2 (right) molecular emissions for bright IFOV’s in the coma (2025/11/02 slot). The red profiles show the observed spectra. The black profiles are H2O (CO2) synthetic spectra modeled with the MAJIS spectral sampling. The blue stars are signal levels for 8 frames away from the comet. Gaps corrrespond to unoperable spectels (~ 10% for the IR channel with a 2 s integration time due to a high dark current). The SNR decreases from one slot to the next due to the increasing distances of the comet to the sun and to the JUICE S/C (see Table 1). As shown by Fig. 2, MAJIS could still obtain information on the spatial distribution of H2O and CO2 emissions, which made it possible to determine H2O and CO2 production rates for all 4 observation slots. Emissions were also observed in the C-H spectral range (~ 3.4 µm).Figure 2: spatial distribution of the H2O emission for the 2025/11/02 slot (left), the CO2 emission for the 2025/11/12 slot (center) and the the CO2 emission for the 2025/11/19 slot (right)The dust scattering continuum of 3I/ATLAS was observed during the first observation slot (2025/11/02) mainly in the VISNIR range (0.5 – 2.35 µm). As shown in Fig. 3, the signal for the brightest IFOV’s peaks at ~ 25 e- to be compared with a noise level of 4 e-, smaller than that in the IR as the dark current is very small for the VISNIR H1RG detector. The dust continuum is expected to be spectrally smooth. An increase of the reflectance with wavelength at a steeper slope from 0.5 to 1 µm could be identified by co-adding the 4 brightest IFOV’s and stacking in the spectral direction.Fig. 3: Signal from dust scattering in the coma; dashed red lines: ± 1 sigma (4 e-)The MAJIS results on the H2O and CO2 production rates and rotational temperatures, and on the dust continuum will be presented in a forthcoming article and at the conference. The comparison of these results with measurements by other instruments of the H2O and CO2 production rates farther from the Sun revealed strong variations of the CO2 / H2O ratio with heliocentric distance. The radial distributions of H2O and CO2 do not reveal significant extended production of these species from icy grains near perihelion.The primary objective of the 3I/ATLAS observations by MAJIS was the science return from an interstellar object. They were also of particular interest to the MAJIS team as a very successful litmus test of the MAJIS readout mode dedicated to weak signals in the Jupiter system (rings and exospheres).Acknowledgements: JUICE is a mission under ESA leadership with contributions from its Member States, NASA, JAXA and the Israel Space Agency. It is the first Large-class mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision programme. This work was supported by CNES, focused on MAJIS. This work has been developed under the ASI-INAF agreement no. 2023-6-HH.0. References Poulet F., Piccioni G., Langevin Y., Dumesnil C. et al., Space Sci. Rev., 2024, 220, 27Grasset O., Dougherty M.K., Coustenis A. et al., Planet. Space Sci., 2013, 78, 1

Martian gullies are geologically recent landforms that may form either through liquid-water activity and/or through processes involving CO2 ice. We investigated the mechanisms responsible for the formation or modification of these features by focusing on the active site of Sisyphi Cavi (68°S, 1°E), located outside the typical latitude range of gully presence. Using CRISM and OMEGA infrared data, we characterized the composition and physical state of seasonal surface ices to test the relevance of H2O and CO2 ice driven mechanisms. Our analysis shows that H2O ice is not detected as an independent surface deposit, although it may be present as minor inclusions within the CO2 ice layer. In particular, during the final phase of CO2 ice sublimation in late spring, no H2O ice signature is observed. In the area, faint spectral signatures of sulfate salts are observed, but their distribution and amount do not suggest any direct link with gully activity. Available observations during early and mid-spring reveal that CO2 ice is translucent during these times, suggesting that it likely remains in this state through most of the ice season. However, a temporal mismatch between dark spot formation - indicative of CO2 geysers through translucent ice - and gully modification (respectively occurring late winter to early spring, and mid to late spring) exists. This does not suggest a systematic link between both processes. Overall, the available observations provide no evidence that liquid water contributes to present-day gully activity at Sisyphi Cavi, while offering no support either for the hypothesis that gully modifications are mainly driven by the formation of CO2 geysers. Gully modifications at Sisyphi Cavi, observed during the late sublimation stages of CO2 ice, may be rather more appropriately explained by CO2-ice-based fluidization or avalanche processes.

The Fe/Mg-phyllosilicate-bearing units at Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis, two key Noachian sites along the martian dichotomy, exhibit distinct compositions despite their proximity. Using novel spectral criteria developed in this study, we distinguish two clay types: Type-1 (Mg-rich smectites/Fe2+-bearing saponite/vermiculite) and Type-2 (Fe3+-rich nontronite). Hyperspectral (OMEGA/CRISM) and textural (HiRISE/CTX) analyses reveal a regionally extensive basal Type-1 unit continuous across both sites, overlain by a Type-2 unit limited to Mawrth Vallis and southeast of Oxia Planum (above main delta fan elevations). A cratered paleosurface, with a Type-1 spectral signature, marks their boundary, indicating a depositional hiatus. The Type-1 unit's lateral extent (>600 km) and elevation range (>1300 m) suggest a large-scale aqueous process, while the Type-2 unit's absence below Oxia Planum's delta fan implies either post-depositional erosion or environmental controls during deposition at Oxia Planum. Our results constrain early Mars' climate models, challenging localized deposition/alteration hypotheses and ocean scenarios. These findings reveal that Type-1 clays extend over a much broader area than previously assumed, indicating that the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover will not investigate a localized phenomenon but rather a process with significant regional-and potentially global-implications for the geological and climatic history of Mars.

The ancient Martian sedimentary cycle remains poorly constrained because sedimentary deposits older than ~3.7 Gy are rare and sparsely exposed. In this study, we investigate rare ancient sedimentary exposures, where “sediments” are defined as accumulations of material formed by depositional processes, including volcanoclastic deposits.We focus on deposits dated between ~4.0 and 3.7 Gy, specifically the Oxia Planum stratigraphic sequence (selected as the future landing site of the ExoMars 2028 Rover mission) and the basal sequence of Mawrth Vallis. Both sites are characterized by Fe/Mg-rich clay-bearing deposits, but exhibit distinct spectral types (vermiculite/saponite-bearing at Oxia Planum vs nontronite-bearing at Mawrth Vallis). Access to these stratigraphic records provides key insights into sedimentary processes during the Noachian period.At both locations, we identified paleosurfaces, defined as remnants of ancient surfaces that were buried by younger deposits and later re-exposed by erosion. These paleosurfaces are recognized by flat-lying, cratered surfaces in which craters are infilled by overlying, younger, material. Some of these paleosurfaces extend over several thousand square kilometers and expose hundreds of preserved paleocraters, indicating prolonged sedimentary hiatuses.We identified two major paleosurfaces. The older one, likely dated at ~4.0 Gy, is located between two sets of strata within the Oxia Planum sequence. The younger one, dated between ~4.0 and 3.7 Gy, occurs at the boundary between the Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis sequences. These paleosurfaces indicate time intervals during which the Noachian Martian sedimentary cycle was effectively halted: sedimentation ceased, as evidenced by crater accumulation, and erosion was minimal, allowing the preservation of paleocraters.Using statistical analysis of preserved paleocraters observed at stratigraphic boundaries, we estimate the duration of these sedimentary hiatuses as a function of surface age. These results have significant implications for our understanding of the early Martian sedimentary cycle and planetary habitability, as they indicate very ancient periods of major climatic and environmental change embedded within this stratigraphic record, during which sedimentation ceased.

The Jupiter and Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) will investigate the Jovian system with multiple instruments over several years, beginning in early 2031. This paper describes the historical context and state of knowledge, as well as JUICE’s scientific goals and measurement techniques of the satellites that will not be encountered in close flybys. These include the large volcanically active moon Io, the four small inner moons Metis, Adrastea, Amalthea, and Thebe, and the numerous small Irregular (outer) moons. JUICE will provide multiple opportunities to observe Io from relatively remote distances of hundreds of thousands of kilometers. These observations will enable monitoring of Io’s surface for changes, and for the study of its neutral clouds and plasma torus. Io observations will be performed with the four optical remote sensing instruments and with the Particle Environment Package. For the small inner moons it is planned to obtain complete geographic longitude (scales up to 8 km/px), solar-phase and multi-color coverage, oblique polar views, and UV to near-IR spectra. Astrometric measurements will also be performed. The Irregular moons will mostly appear unresolved to the JUICE instruments. Nonetheless, long-duration disk-integrated lightcurves will be acquired to derive rotation periods, object dimensions, pole-axis orientations, and colors for most objects for the first time. From these data, convex-shape models will be generated and phase curves determined. Furthermore, the precision of the orbital elements will be improved via accurate astrometry. UV and near-IR measurements will be attempted for the largest of these objects.

The Lunar-Earth Gravitational Assist (LEGA) of 19-20 August 2024 marked the first in-flight opportunity beyond functional checks to perform MAJIS (Moons and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer) observations on-board the ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft. This unique double flyby involved sequential close approaches to the Moon and Earth, offering an unprecedented configuration to evaluate MAJIS under high radiance, rapidly changing geometric, and operationally constrained conditions. A total of 24 hyperspectral image cubes were acquired (5 targeting the Moon and 19 the Earth) providing a dataset of approximately 7.5 Gbit. This work presents the primary goal of this observation campaign, which was to verify key aspects of MAJIS performance, including radiometric and spectral calibration, straylight behavior, geometric alignment, the use of onboard browse products, and interference tests with other JUICE instruments. This event also enabled assessment of thermal behavior and susceptibility to electromagnetic interference, and provided a first operational benchmark for MAJIS and a basis for refining future observation strategies and data analyses during JUICE's cruise and science phases. In addition, despite limited spatial and temporal coverage of the observations, the analyses presented here and in a series of companion papers of the special issue "The first-ever lunar-Earth flyby: a unique test environment for JUICE" demonstrated the instrument's ability to characterize mineralogical features on the Moon and atmospheric constituents on Earth. Observations include detection of mafic minerals (some associated to fresh excavated materials), thermal emission, and emissivity variations on the Moon at spatial scale of 100-200 m. Characterization of atmospheric absorption features, thermal brightness, icy cloud properties are captured for the Earth at km-scale and briefly discussed in the framework of the atmospheric biosignatures relevant to exoplanet habitability studies. Near-coincident acquisitions with other JUICE instruments and Earth-orbiting spectrometers provided valuable inter-calibration and cross-validation opportunities.

Tyrrhena Terra, a region located in the cratered highlands between Hellas and Isidis Planitia on Mars, is distinguished by its extensive presence of hydrated minerals. Using 542 hyperspectral images from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, we detected 252 exposures of hydrated minerals. This region is characterized by a widespread distribution of Fe/Mg-smectites/vermiculites and chlorite, with additional detections of Al-phyllosilicates, zeolites, prehnite, hydrated silica, and carbonates. We classified the mineralogical detections in classes of impact crater diameters, locations in craters, and for those > 20 km, their relative degradation stages. We found that craters < 10 km display a lower mineral diversity than larger ones. In contrast, craters > 20 km display a high mineral diversity, especially in central peaks, suggesting a strong influence of hydrothermal processes and deep excavation. Among this diameter range, fresh, young craters exhibit a much higher mineral diversity than degraded, old craters. Fe/Mg-phyllosilicates are dominant in the latter, as well as in sedimentary units of topographically low areas. These results indicate a long-term alteration cycle in the most ancient period, where the initial, diverse hydrated minerals-formed through exhumation and/or hydrothermal circulation within large impacts-were subsequently transformed by surface weathering and/or buried, dissolved, or eroded away by other post-impact processes, then transported and deposited in lowlands by fluvial erosion. Although Tyrrhena Terra is dominated by impact-related hydrated mineral detections, our study shows that the overprint of Noachian age weathering is visible within these detections.

The Zhurong rover conducted in situ spectral investigations of southern Utopia Planitia, where the bedrock composition remains relatively unknown due to dust cover. Here we identify some spectrally distinct dark patches sporadically occurring on rocks by combining the Multispectral Camera and Short-Wave Infrared data. These dark patches represent relatively dust-free surfaces and exhibit concave-up blue slopes in the near-infrared not identified in that area from orbital data. This spectral signature is most consistent with silica-enriched leached rinds on basaltic glass. The presence of such weathering rinds could imply leaching in an acidic aqueous environment of igneous rocks previously transported to the landing site as impact ejecta or pyroclastic deposits by explosive volcanism. In situ observations link the dark patches to the northern low-albedo regions, suggesting that the surficial acidic weathering may be more widespread and occurred in the northern lowlands under Amazonian climatic conditions.

ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission scientific payload includes a 2-channels (visible to near-infrared (VISNIR) and infrared (IR)) cryogenic imaging spectrometer instrument called the Moons And Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer (MAJIS). During its ground calibration campaign, this instrument was tested at different operative temperatures, and calibration measurements were acquired to derive the spatial, spectral, and radiometric performances. Following the launch of the JUICE mission to the Jovian System, the first in-flight measurements were acquired during the near-Earth commissioning phase (NECP). In flight, the internal calibration unit (ICU) was used to monitor the instrument’s response. In particular, the ICU signal provides full illumination of the instrument's field of view. It exhibits several absorption bands thanks to a didymium and a polystyrene filter placed in front of the VISNIR and IR sources, respectively.The performances of the instrument are evaluated through several metrics, including the absolute spectral calibration, the full width at half maximum of the response (spatial and spectral), the distortions (keystone and smile), and the impact of the optical head temperature. The flight acquisitions will be presented and compared to the ground calibration analyses, and the current performances of the instrument will be discussed in the context of MAJIS main scientific goals.

Organic-mineral interactions are crucial drivers of diversity in abiotic systems on planetary surfaces. Despite their significance, the evolution of these systems, particularly the role of organic molecules in newly formed minerals, remains underexplored. In this study, we proposed new experiments on analogs to explore the interactions between organic molecules likely present in planetary environments and primary minerals. We examine interactions between aromatic benzyl-group compounds and igneous minerals (olivine, feldspar) under mid-temperature aqueous conditions, analogous to hydrothermal systems hypothesized to exist on early Martian and terrestrial environments. Using multiscale techniques—gas chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, microscopy, and adsorption studies—we analyzed the analogs after 45 days at 100°C. The results reveal that the presence of minerals influences the distribution of newly formed organic compounds, for example, by promoting the formation of organic chelates. Minerals altered in the presence of organics formed secondary phases, such as phyllosilicates and amorphous materials resembling serpentines or smectites. Organic compounds impacted dissolution rates, secondary mineral parageneses, and porosity, enriching the diversity of hydrated mineral phases compared to mineral alteration without organic matter. Significant carbon and nitrogen were found filling mineral porosity (up to 7 wt% C), modifying physical properties compared to systems without organics. These findings highlight the pivotal role of organics in shaping mineralogy on planetary surfaces and underscore the need for broader studies of organic-mineral analogs to improve interpretations of in situ and remote organic detections in extraterrestrial samples.

We report here about the currently foreseen scientific activity of the MAJIS instrument during the two planned JUICE flybys of Europa in 2032. MAJIS [1] (Moon and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer) is a two-channel imaging spectrometer onboard JUICE, covering the spectral range 0.5-5.55 μm, splitted in a VISNIR channel (0.5-2.36 μm,

The Zhurong rover conducted in-situ spectral investigations of southern Utopia Planitia, where orbital observations revealed the presence of spectrally featureless dust. However, in-situ reflectance spectra collected by the Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) spectrometer exhibit hydrated features for all observations along the traverse. These features have been interpreted as being associated with groundwater (Liu Y. et al., 2022) or ocean (Liu C. et al., 2022; Xiao et al., 2023) or atmospheric water (Zhao et al., 2023). Here, we combine the Multispectral Camera (MSCam) and SWIR data to characterize the spectra of landing site and provide some new insights into the surface composition diversity. Multispectral images suggest that most of surfaces are consistent with the presence of dust whereas a few of rock surfaces exhibiting dark tones are compositionally distinct. The co-observational SWIR data can be used to further constrain the surface compositions. With Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and unmixing analysis of the SWIR data, we found that these dusty surfaces are ubiquitously characterized with faint 1900 and 2200 nm absorptions and the dark rock surfaces exhibit strong blue slopes in the NIR. The hydrated dust features seem to contrast with previous knowledge, that the dust does not exhibit obvious NIR hydration features from orbital observations. Such discrepancies were also observed at Jezero crater, where the fine soils or dusty rocks exhibit a 1900 nm H2O absorption but without 2200 nm band (Mandon et al., 2023). Spectral variation may reflect distinct surface dust compositions between the Perseverance and Zhurong landing site, indicating different dust reservoirs or dust alteration processes. The surface dust of different sites may be mixtures of globally well-mixed fine materials and local/regional distinct hydrated phases. Another possibilities is that the dust underwent different post-deposition aqueous alteration. The dark rock surfaces may represent less dust-coated surfaces. The strong blue slope features have been previously attributed to coatings on a dark substrate. Furthermore, the morphological properties show that these surfaces exhibit relatively fragile surface context, consistent with surface coatings or rinds.

The ubiquitous hydration features observed by Zhurong rover provided new insights into Mars aqueous paleoenvironments. However, the impact of the Martian dust was not previously discussed. Here, we conduct a joint analysis of the Multispectral Camera and Short-Wave Infrared data to constrain the surface composition. The results show that these hydration features are robust against instrumental biases and associated with dusty surfaces. The 1.9 feature is shared between Zhurong and Perseverance landing sites, suggesting that it may be relatively common for Mars dust. The discrepancy between in situ and orbital data could be mainly due to atmospheric effects. The 2.2 band is more specific to the Zhurong landing site, and spectrally consistent with hydrated silica regarding the band shape and position. We propose two possible processes for the origin of such hydrous components at Zhurong landing site, aeolian deposits from nearby cones and/or in situ aqueous alteration products.

To date, studies on water distribution in opals (SiO2.nH2O, amorphous and porous) have considered opal exclusively in terms of silica structures (nanograins and aggregates such as spheres) without considering the, yet intrinsic, silica gel component. Consequently, its role in controlling both the water content and the distribution of water species (H₂O, SiOH) is still unresolved. In this study, Raman spectroscopy was applied to four calibrated synthetic opals representing varying ratios of silica structure and silica gel. The aim is to assess the nature of water in opal, especially regarding its bi-component nature. Our results show that an increase in the silica gel content in synthetic opals affects the content, type and proportion of water species by: (1) increasing the contribution of the bonded molecular water preferentially located in the porosity (H2O type B) and the silanol groups present in the total amorphous structure (SiOH type A); (2) decreasing of the contribution of free molecular water (H2O type A) and silanols groups adsorbed at the silica structure surface (SiOH type B). Moreover, the synthetic sample composed exclusively of silica structures (Op 1:0), which represent the theoretical model use to date, shows a systematic different behaviour to the other sample containing silica gel. All this exhibit that the silica gel phase plays an important role in the repartition of water in natural opals.

We present the detection and characterization of mesoscale waves on the lower clouds of Mars (20–40 km) using hyperspectral images from the Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité (OMEGA) onboard the European Mars Express space mission. We used image navigation and processing techniques based on contrast enhancement and geometrical projections to semi‐manually detect and manually characterize morphological properties of the detected waves, such as horizontal wavelength or packet length. Our study covers 3 Martian years, spanning from January 2004 (Mars Year 26) to January 2010 (Mars Year 29). We detected 263 wave packets, of which we characterized 125, revealing an average horizontal wavelength of 21 km, with detected waves spanning horizontal wavelengths between 6 and 83 km. Wave activity exhibited spatial and temporal variability, with larger wave packets concentrated in the northern hemisphere and most detections occurring during daytime. Seasonal patterns revealed higher wave activity during northern spring and autumn and southern winter, linked to regional topography, atmospheric density perturbations, and diurnal heating cycles. These findings provide insights into Martian atmospheric gravity waves and demonstrate the OMEGA data set's value for future studies of Mars's atmospheric dynamics.

Local Dust Storms (LDS) are defined as dust storm phenomena that cover an area smaller than 1.6 x 106 km2 or persist for less than three sols. The study of LDS is critical for understanding dust transport processes in both horizontal and vertical directions and the evolution of large-scale dust storms on Mars. However, the relatively small scale and short lifetime make it difficult to detect with previous studies. OMEGA onboard Mars Express (MEx) has conducted spectroscopic measurements with high spatial resolution (up to similar to 400 m/pixel). Here, we present a method to retrieve dust optical depth and detect LDS using the 2.77 mu m CO2 absorption band. At this wavelength, photons are absorbed before reaching the surface, and the photons collected by OMEGA have been scattered around 20-30 km altitude by dust. We have detected 146 LDS events from the retrieved dust optical depth in MY27-29. The LDS were generally observed in the southern summer season, while frequent occurrences of LDS were observed during the northern summer (Ls = 130 degrees-150 degrees) in MY27. The remarkable increase in LDS is also identified just before the global dust storm in MY28. We found a peak in the probability of LDS around noon in both seasons, Ls = 0 degrees-180 degrees and Ls = 180 degrees-360 degrees. In Ls = 0 degrees-180 degrees, high probability areas are found only in specific regions, such as Chryse Planitia. The probability areas expands over a wide range, except high-latitude north of 40 degrees N in Ls = 180 degrees-360 degrees. These findings highlight the spatiotemporal roles LDS play in dust transport, providing insights into the dust cycle (245/250 words).

Introduction: On December 6, 2020, the Hayabusa2 mission successfully returned to Earth ~ 5.4 g of samples collected at the surface of the C-type asteroid Ruygu [1,2]. Its surface was first sampled on February 22, 2019, then on July 12, 2019, close to a 10-meter large artificial crater, so as to possibly access sub-surface material [3]. The collected samples are now kept at the Extraterrestrial Samples Curation Center of JAXA at ISAS in Sagamihara, Japan, for a first round of preliminary analyses, with the objective to characterize in a non-destructive manner both the bulk samples and a few hundreds of grains extracted from them [4]. In particular, the objective is 1) to support their further detailed characterization by the international initial analysis teams, which will start their activity in July 2021, and 2) to catalog the grains, accessible to the international community through AO selection, starting mid-2022.The preliminary characterization of these samples is being conducted with a visible microscope with four color filters, a FTIR spectrometer operating in the 1-5 µm range and MicrOmega, a hyperspectral NIR microscope developed at Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (Université Paris-Saclay/CNRS, Orsay, France), operating in the near-infrared range (0.99-3.65 µm) [5]. It is noteworthy that never before have the preliminary analyses of returned extraterrestrial samples included the characterization by a NIR hyperspectral microscope.Results: Preliminary outcomes of the analyses performed with MicrOmega will be presented at the conference. In particular, the question of the representativity of the samples collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft will be addressed thanks to the comparison of the spectra obtained by MicrOmega and the NIRS3 remote sensing IR spectrometer [6] which performed a spectral characterization (1.8-3.2 µm) of Ryugu's surface, including the sites of the samples' collection [7,8]. A preliminary analysis of the spatial compositional heterogeneity will be presented. Specific signatures, detected in grains typically present in

The Moons And Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer (MAJIS) is the visible and near-infrared imaging spectrometer onboard the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission. Before its integration into the spacecraft, the instrument undergoes an extensive ground calibration to establish its baseline performances. This process prepares the imaging spectrometer for flight operations by characterizing the behavior of the instrument under various operative conditions and uncovering instrumental distortions that may depend on instrumental commands. Two steps of the on-ground calibration campaigns were held at the instrument level to produce the data. Additional in-flight measurements have recently been obtained after launch during the Near-Earth Commissioning Phase. In this article, we present the analyses of these datasets, focusing on the characterization of the spectral performances. First, we describe and analyze the spectral calibration datasets obtained using both monochromatic sources and polychromatic sources coupled with solid and gas samples. Then, we derive the spectral sampling and the spectral response function over the entire field of view. These spectral characteristics are quantified for various operational parameters of MAJIS, such as temperature and spectral binning. The derived on-ground performances are then compared with in-flight measurements obtained after launch and presented in the framework of the MAJIS performance requirements.