![Vertical cut through the best-fit disk model on a logarithmic radial scale. Shown are temperatures, where the gas density, ϱdisk, exceeds an assumed ISM density of ϱISM = 2.7 × 10−24 g cm−3 (Ferrière 2001) by a factor of 1000. The snowline at Tsnow = 170 K and the 100 K-line, as well as the unity optical depth lines at a wavelength of 3.1 µm (computed for the best-fit model described in Sect. 5.2.2) measured from the star to the observer and from observer to the star, illustrate the temperature and dust density structure of the disk. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Spatial.png?resize=1200%2C715&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] The composition of rocky planets depends on the dust in their natal protoplanetary disk (PPD), potentially containing water ice. Crystalline water ice was detected in the PPD d216-0939 in […]
Astronomy & Telescopes
![Life 2.0 mission concept and simulated biosignature spectroscopy. The distributed array observes a common target with many one-meter telescope modules. The example spectra illustrate UV-optical atmospheric signatures and the simulated recovery of O₃, O₂, and H₂O after calibrated spectral co-addition. -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Life-2.0.jpg?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Life 2.0: A Scalable Distributed Space-Telescope Array For Biosignature Spectroscopy
[astro-ph.IM] Answering the question “Are we alone?” requires atmospheric spectroscopy of nearby terrestrial planets. For an Earth–Sun analog, even the strongest transmission signals are expected to be of order 1 […]
![[LEFT]: Schematic of the star–planet–observer geometry defining the phase angle α, measured between the star–planet and planet–observer directions. The hemisphere of the planet facing the star is fully illuminated (gold) at all times, while the opposite hemisphere remains in shadow. The observer sees only the portion of the illuminated hemisphere that is visible at a given α, with full illumination visible only at α = 0◦. [RIGHT]: Illustration of planetary phases along an edge-on orbit, with the star at the center and the observer direction indicated below the orbit. Although the star-facing hemisphere remains illuminated throughout the orbit, the visible fraction of this hemisphere changes with phase angle. Full phase occurs at α = 0◦, quadrature at α = 90◦, and new phase at α = 180 , with gibbous and crescent phases spanning the intermediate ranges. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-Impact.png?resize=1200%2C714&ssl=1)
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
The Impact of Planetary Phase Functions On Exo-Earth Detectability With EXOSIMS
[astro-ph.EP] The under-development NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) aims to provide breakthroughs in exoplanet science, yet the most effective approaches to modeling the detection and characterization of potentially Earth-like worlds […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
Quantifying Detection Bias And Recovering Habitable Zone Occurrence Rates In The NASA Exoplanet Archive
[Astronomy and Computing] Transit surveys tend to underestimate how often habitable zone (HZ) planets appear. The core reason is geometric: the chance that an Earth-like planet transits a sun-like star […]
![Latitude-longitude maps of column-integrated water clouds (panels a, b and c), outgoing longwave radiation (OLR, panels d, e and f) and albedo at the top of the atmosphere (TOA albedo, panels g, h and i) for Cases 2A, 2B and 2C. The variables are averaged over ∼50 orbits. The dashed white line on the albedo color bar corresponds to the surface albedo.-- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/A-broad.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
A Broad Exploration Of Climate And Observability Of Close-in Rocky Exoplanets: Applications To Ross 128 b
[astro-ph.EP] VLT/RISTRETTO, ELT/ANDES and ELT/PCS will soon enable atmospheric characterization of non-transiting, small rocky exoplanets orbiting closer than the inner edge of the Habitable Zone around M dwarfs, combining high-contrast […]
![(a) The HWK4123 sensor has a standard ceramic land grid array (CGLA) package and measures 31.1 × 36.6 mm. The imaging pixel array is in the center of the sensor. (b) The PHOTRON system is shown outside the dewar. The HWK4123 mounts behind the black enclosure in the top-left corner. (c) The QUEST camera attaches to the output of an integrating sphere, and the sphere receives light from a monochromator. -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Single-Photon.png?resize=1200%2C704&ssl=1)
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
Single-Photon Counting CMOS Detectors For The Habitable Worlds Observatory
[astro-ph.IM] The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is NASA’s current New Great Observatory concept. HWO will observe the universe to search for life beyond Earth. It will need unprecedented instrument stability […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
The Research Impact Of The Jodrell Bank Observatory And Other Facilities Affected By The UK Science Funding Cuts In 2025
[astro-ph.IM] The United Kingdom Research and Innovation body and the Science and Technology Facilities Council recently announced funding cuts to facilities at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, specifically the e-MERLIN network […]
![Simulated results with NewAthena/X-IFU (400ks exposure, binning factor 3). Figure (a) and (b) plotted the dust model against simulated data (sim. data) along the line of sight from GX 340+00 and GX 5-1, respectively. Figure (c) displays the comparison of three silicate models in GX 13+. -- [astro-ph.GA]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Investigation.png?resize=1200%2C726&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Investigation Of Calcium Dust In The Interstellar Medium
[astro-ph.GA] Calcium is a highly depleted element in the interstellar medium (ISM), however its composition in the solid phase remains elusive. The detection of Ca-bearing dust has been limited due […]
Posted inBrown Dwarfs
SMDET-1: A Nearby Y Dwarf Candidate
[astro-ph.SR] We present the discovery of SMDET-1, a red, fast-moving object (μ≈1.3″/yr) identified in time-resolved unWISE coadds using a pixel-level deep learning methodology called SMDET.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
CHEOPS Photometry From 2024 Reveals A Reversal In The Transit-timing Variations Of AU Mic c
[astro-ph.EP]. We present new CHEOPS transit observations of AU Mic b and AU Mic c obtained between June and September 2024, extending the baseline of transit-timing measurements of this young […]