We report on the formation of membranous protocells by self-assembly of lipids on micrometeorites, the extraterrestrial particles that have been continuously reaching the surface of the Earth ever since its […]
Meteorites & Asteroids
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Meteorites & Asteroids, Sample Return, Status Report
NASA Astromaterials: ANSMET Report April 2025
ANSMET is excited at the possibility of a field season coming in December of 2025! We do not have the full go ahead from NSF yet, but we are holding […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Life Recovered Rapidly After The Chicxulub Impact – A Hydrothermal System May Have Helped
About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the planet, wiping out all non-avian dinosaurs and about 70% of all marine species.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Community Need For An Astrobiology Sample Repository And Sample Reference Suite – NASA DARES White Paper
As we prepare for the next planetary mission charged with finding life beyond Earth, the Astrobiology community must continue to improve its understanding of what constitutes a biosignature, through the […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biophysics, Extinction events, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ray Ionisation Of A Post-impact Early Earth Atmosphere: Solar Cosmic Ray Ionisation Must Be Considered In Origin-of-life Scenarios
Cosmic rays (CR), both solar and Galactic, have an ionising effect on the Earth’s atmosphere and are thought to be important for prebiotic molecule production. In particular, the H2-dominated atmosphere […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Orbit, Meteoroid Size, And Cosmic Ray Exposure History Of The Aguas Zarcas CM2 Breccia
The Aguas Zarcas (Costa Rica) CM2 carbonaceous chondrite fell during night time in April 2019. Security and dashboard camera video of the meteor were analyzed to provide a trajectory, lightcurve, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
A Meteorite With Water-rich Minerals Lands On Earth In Good Condition
In April 2019, rare primitive meteorites fell near the town of Aguas Zarcas in northern Costa Rica. In an article published online in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science, an […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Interstellar, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
An Upper Limit on the Interstellar Meteoroid Flux at Video Sizes from the Global Meteor Network
Material arriving at our solar system from the Galaxy may be detected at Earth in the form of meteors ablating in our atmosphere. Here we report on a search for […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Spectral Effects of Shock Darkening On Ordinary Chondrite and Howardite, Eucrite, And Diogenite Meteorites
Impacts are the most ubiquitous processes on planetary bodies in our solar system. During these impact events, shock waves can deposit enough energy to produce shock-induced darkening in the target […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Meteorites: A Geologic Map Of The Asteroid Belt
Where do meteorites of different type come from? In a review paper in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science, published online this week, astronomers trace the impact orbit of observed […]