Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane on September 20, 2017. Our Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo had extensive damage to its walls, floor, computers, materials, and furniture. Most of the structural damage to the lab was covered by FEMA, the insurance, and the university. However, about $14k of damage to our furniture, computers, and scientific materials was not covered. The PHL has been providing scientific and educational tools in the last 8 years to scientists, educators, and the general public. Its two most popular projects are the Visible Paleo-Earth and the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog. We want to continue this and other projects together with our students and colleagues from Puerto Rico and elsewhere. Any help is appreciated to rebuild our lab and continue its operation in the following months.
 The artistic image above, X-mas Planets, was created to celebrate the first year of our Habitable Exoplanets Catalog. Since then, the image has been widely used by scientists, educators, and media to illustrate the diversity of potentially habitable worlds. For questions or to report any problems contact phl.upr.edu@gmail.com |
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(CC) Planetary Habitability Laboratory @ UPR Arecibo, 2018