![Atmospheric and water loss of an Earth-like planet for three stellar systems: (e,f) M-dwarf (TRAPPIST-1) central habitable zone. The mass losses shown in a,b,c and d are after 6 Gyr of system integration. -- Full chart below [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Simulated-Effects.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] Thousands of exoplanets have been discovered in recent decades, yet Earth remains the only known world with life.
Keith Cowing
Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻
![Stellar age versus planet radius for all planets in the Mission Candidate Sample. Planets younger than 200 Myr are highlighted in blue. The four planets marked with a star represent promising young targets. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Probing.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inAriel Mission
Probing Exoplanetary Chemistry with Ariel: Scientific Priorities and Observational Strategies
[astro-ph.EP] Over the past two decades, increasingly precise observations have revealed that exoplanet atmospheres are chemically diverse and often far from equilibrium, with processes such as vertical mixing, photochemistry, and […]
![Observed lightcurve of Atira in 𝑉 and 𝑅𝐶 bands. A scaling of +0.43 mag is applied to all 𝑅𝐶 magnitudes. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Nordic-based.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Nordic-based Observations Of Binary Asteroid (163693) Atira Reveal A Hydrated CM Chondrite Composition
[astro-ph.EP] We present photometric, spectroscopic, and polarimetric observations of (163693) Atira collected on the night of 05 March 2024. A dual-band lightcurve acquired in the V and R_C filters using […]
![Schematic of the experimental chamber setup. -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Laboratory.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Laboratory Evidence that Methanol-Rich Ice Mantles Lower Methyl Formate Binding Energies
[astro-ph.IM] Complex organic molecules are widely detected in star-forming regions and are important precursors to prebiotic species. Because these molecules are thought to form primarily within icy grain mantles, their […]
![Contribution of a flare to the observed spectrum on anM-dwarf using a BT-Settl model spectrum (Allard 2014) -- [astro-ph.SR]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Stellar-flares.png?resize=1200%2C714&ssl=1)
Posted inAriel Mission
Stellar Flares With Ariel: Detection Prospects And Impacts On Exoplanet Spectroscopy
[astro-ph.SR] Stellar flares are important tracers of magnetic activity and can significantly influence the characterization of exoplanet host stars by introducing time-dependent astrophysical variability.
Posted inCareer Opportunities
Baruch Blumberg Grants in Astrobiology (formerly Lewis and Clark Fund for Field Research and Exploration in Astrobiology)
[American Philosophical Society] Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth and in the universe. It encompasses research in, among others, the fields […]
Posted inReports, Roadmaps, & Plans
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Seeks Volunteer Reviewers
[NASA]. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is seeking volunteer reviewers for its research proposals. Please refer to the recently posted volunteer reviewer forms for: as well as the perpetual forms […]
Posted inLava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds
Thermal Evolution of Lava Planets Across System Ages: Predictions for Hell of a Survey
[astro-ph.EP] Ultra-short-period (USP) rocky exoplanets can have dayside temperatures high enough to maintain permanent magma oceans, sitting at the intersection of interior geophysics and atmospheric chemistry. Coupled feedbacks between the […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Thioacetaldehyde (CH3CHS) On Interstellar Ices: A Key Molecule To Unravel Two Chemical Dichotomies In The ISM
[astro-ph.GA] Thioacetaldehyde (CH3CHS), recently detected in TMC-1, has an abundance approximately 36 times lower than its oxygen analog, acetaldehyde (CH3CHO). This makes the CH3CHS/CH3CHO pair the one with the largest […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Interstellar Disparity: N- vs O-bearing Molecules: A Multidisciplinary Perspective across Interstellar Environments
[astro-ph.GA] Observations of O- and N-bearing molecules reveal systematic chemical differentiation across a wide range of interstellar environments.