![A grid of extracted photic surfaces resulting from the same giant impact scenario between two terrestrial bodies plotted in three dimensions, at a simulation time of 24 h. Each row corresponds to the same approximate target resolution, and each column to the same maximum smoothing length, ℎmax. The surfaces 𝜏 = 1 are colour-coded by local temperature. Each line of sight has fixed 𝑥 and 𝑧 coordinates. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Blinding-Lights.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] Giant impacts (collisions between planet-sized bodies) are violent events that fundamentally alter the properties of planets and the structure of planetary systems.
Astrogeology
![Comparison of the averages of the Bennu aggregate samples (OREX-800033-0, OREX-800117-0, OREX-800107-0) from four different laboratories. Concentrations are double-normalized to Mg and the literature average values for CI chondrites (Lodders et al., 2025a). The uncertainties shown are ±1 SD. Elements that deviate by more than 20% from the CI average are labeled. Four extreme outliers from individual analyses have been excluded (see Table 7) and are not shown in this figure. - -[astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Best-Bulk-Bennu.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrogeology
Best Bulk Bennu (B3): Elemental Compositions Of Aggregate Samples From Asteroid Bennu K.
[astro-ph.EP] Ivuna-type (CI) carbonaceous chondrites have long served as proxies for the bulk Solar System composition due to their close agreement with solar photospheric abundances and enrichment in volatile elements […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Sulfur Dioxide Sulfide (SSO2): The Elusive Isovalent Analogue of Sulfur Trioxide (SO3)
[The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters]. Sulfur dioxide sulfide (SSO2) has remained experimentally undetected despite repeated theoretical predictions of its stability.
![Example fits to the observed spectrum of GJ 436 (Teff = 3495 K, [Fe/H] = -0.05 dex, 2023 observation), LHS 1140 (Teff = 3111 K, [Fe/H] = –0.07 dex), and TOI 2290 (Teff = 3758 K, [Fe/H] = –0.18 dex) are shown as solid purple, gold, and cyan points, respectively. GJ 436 and LHS 1140 spectra were obtained with IGRINS while the TOI 2290 spectrum was obtained with NIRSPEC. The FeH line falls in an order gap for our NIRSPEC spectra and is not shown in this figure. Best fitting synthetic spectra are shown as dashed lines. Synthetic spectra creation and fitting methodology is described in section 3.-- [astro-ph.SR]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/The-Composition.png?resize=1200%2C752&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
The Composition of M-dwarf Exoplanet Hosts: Atmospheric Parameters and O, Mg, Si, and Fe Abundances from IR Spectroscopy
[astro-ph.SR] Determining M-dwarf abundances is an important step to discerning the chemical evolution of the Milky Way and characterizing exoplanetary systems, especially since these objects commonly host small exoplanets.
Posted inAstrochemistry
Pre-Accretion Formation of Sulfuric Acid in Interstellar Ice Analogs: Implications for Sulfate in Ryugu and Bennu
[The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters] Sulfate-bearing phases and soluble sulfate species, including sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), in carbonaceous asteroids are commonly attributed to parent-body aqueous alteration, yet the formation of […]
![Conceptual relation between cometary dust activity and the release of refractory organic material.-- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Cometary-dust.png?resize=1200%2C716&ssl=1)
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Cometary Dust Activity As A Proxy For Refractory Organic Material Release
[astro-ph.EP] Cometary dust is an important reservoir of refractory organic matter and may contribute to the redistribution of carbon-rich material throughout planetary systems.
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Cometary Impacts An Unlikely Pathway Towards The Origins Of Life On Earth
[astro-ph.EP] An early period of cometary bombardment has long been speculated to provide an important source of prebiotic feedstock molecules, required for the origins of life on Earth.
Posted inMars
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Detects Hints Of Volcanic Activity On Mars
[ESA] New evidence from gas seeping above volcanic rifts suggests Mars is not geologically dead deep inside, but merely sleeping.
Posted inAstrogeology
Using Vibrations To Reveal What Lies Beneath Other Planets’ Surfaces
[Virginia Tech] Modern space exploration hasn’t quite reached Star Trek levels of boldly going where no one has gone before. But if, like the denizens of the USS Enterprise, astronauts […]
Posted inTricorders & Sensors
All-Laser Suite Analytical Platform (Microsampling, Catapulting, Trapping, and LIBS) for the Characterization of Discrete Domains in Samples of Astrochemical Interest
[Analytical Chemistry via PubMed] The chemical characterization of scarce or heterogeneous solid samples remains a significant analytical challenge due to the high material quantities required by conventional techniques.