![Initial šcāšc distribution of the 32,000 comets used in each end-to-end calculation. Dashed lines mark the semimajor axes of P7 and P8. The circular and eccentric planet calculations use identical comet initial states.-- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Planetary.png?resize=1200%2C604&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] Comets can supply volatile and prebiotic material to rocky planets, but survival of fragile molecules depends on atmospheric entry and impact. Compact planet chains can transfer comets inward at […]
Impact events
Posted inImpact events
JWST Studies Of Planet-shattering Collisions
[ESA]. In the early history of our Solar System, a Mars-sized object called Theia smashed into the infant Earth, vapourising massive amounts of rock and blasting it into space. Some […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Whole-Genome Metagenomics Insights Revealed a Uranium Bio-remediating Cross-Domain Microbiome in the Dhala Impact Structure, India
[biorxiv.org] Meteorite impact structures on earth represent unique terrestrial analogues of extreme planetary environments where fractured lithologies, hydrothermal alteration, elevated concentrations of radionuclides, and prolonged water-rock interactions create ecological niches […]
Posted inImpact events
Meteor Hit Oklahoma 100 Million Years Later Than Previously Thought
[University of Texas at Austin] Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have rewritten a small part of Oklahomaās geologic history with global implications for ancient life.
![Top view schematic of the experimental geometry at the PWK1 plasma wind tunnel facility. The geometrical thickness š denotes the extent of the radiating plasma along the line of sight as observed by the Echelle spectrometer. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Determining.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inMeteorites & Asteroids
Determining Elemental Composition In Laboratory Meteorite Ablation Spectra Through Radiative Transfer Modeling
[astro-ph.EP] Laboratory simulations of meteor ablation provide a critical quantitative link between the chemical composition of meteoroids and their observed spectral features.
Posted inCaves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes
An Accidental Impact Crater Discovery
[NASA]. There are roughly 200 confirmed impact structures on Earth, but geologists estimate that hundreds more lurk undiscovered. Now, thereās at least one moreāand a large one, at thatāin the […]
Posted inEnceladus
The Enceladian Crater Production Function
[Icarus] Interpreting Enceladusās past and present surface history and interior state remains challenging, owing to uncertain prescription of its impact bombardment history and limited interpretation of its crater statistics.
Posted inIcy Worlds
SwRI Simulations Indicate That Large Impacts May Limit Ocean Formation In Icy Moons
[SwRI] Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scientists provided simulations to understand the role disruptive impacts play on icy moons with subsurface oceans in our solar system.
![Plot of the frequency vs. diameter for all asteroids with known or estimated rotation period with quality code š ā„ 1. File data from the ALCDB of 1 Oct 2023, the last release (https://alcdef.org/). The two near-Earth asteroids, 2000 RD34 and 2000 DN8 (both with š = 1), are shown together with the five LSFR from Rubin observations (red) and the candidate LSFR or almost candidate (due to borderline diameter as for 2015 RG36 and 2024 WB), which we have characterized at the Loiano Astronomical Station, managed by INAF-OAS in Italy (cyan). The curves for the rubble pile model with cohesion strength are from Eq. 12 (SĆ”nchez and Scheeres, 2014). Our candidates LSFR has a cohesive strength between 102ā104 Pa. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Photometric.png?resize=1200%2C721&ssl=1)
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Photometric Characterization Of Near-Earth Asteroids: Rotation, Taxonomy, And Candidate Evidence For Internal Cohesion
[astro-ph.EP] We present the results of a survey of previously uncharacterized near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) conducted between the second half of 2024 and the first months of 2026 using broadband BVRcIc […]
Posted inIcy Worlds
The Role of Disruptive Impacts on Ocean Generation and Longevity in Icy Moons
[Nature Astronomy] Among icy moons of the outer Solar System, subsurface water oceans and large collisions both seem to be common, but the impact of the latter on the presence […]