Two massive asteroids hit Earth around 35.65 million years ago, but did not lead to any lasting changes in the Earth’s climate, according to a new study by UCL researchers.
Meteorites & Asteroids
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, NASA Astrobiology Program, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Policy, Sample Return, Status Report
NASA’s Office of Planetary Protection Has A New Logo
Editor’s note: According to a LinkedIn post by James Benardini, Planetary Protection Officer at NASA: “NASA’s Office of Planetary Protection just released it’s new logo today! Excited to share this […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Rapid Colonization of a Space‐returned Ryugu Sample by Terrestrial Microorganisms
The presence of microorganisms within meteorites has been used as evidence for extraterrestrial life, however, the potential for terrestrial contamination makes their interpretation highly controversial.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return
Illuminating The Journey Of A 4-billion-year-old Asteroid
The Science Researchers at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) joined an international effort to study tiny fragments of a nearby asteroid. The APS, a Department of Energy Office of Science […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Meteorite Contains Evidence Of Liquid Water On Mars 742 Million Years Ago
An asteroid struck Mars 11 million years ago and sent pieces of the red planet hurtling through space. One of these chunks of Mars eventually crashed into the Earth somewhere […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Astrochemistry: The Mystery of Life’s Handedness Deepens
The mystery of why life uses molecules with specific orientations has deepened with a NASA-funded discovery that RNA — a key molecule thought to have potentially held the instructions for […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Call for Applications for 2025 Membership
The Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) is seeking applications for open volunteer service positions starting in 2025.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Mechanisms and Timing of Carbonaceous Chondrite Delivery to Earth
The nucleosynthetic isotope signatures of meteorites and the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) indicate that Earth consists of a mixture of “carbonaceous” (CC) and “non-carbonaceous” (NC) materials.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Interstellar, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Asteroid Grains Shed Light On The Outer Solar System’s Origins
Tiny grains from a distant asteroid are revealing clues to the magnetic forces that shaped the far reaches of the solar system over 4.6 billion years ago.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Experimental and Theoretical Studies of the Interactions of Alanine Onto Surfaces of Olivine and Montmorillonite: Relevance in Astrobiology
Amino acids have been detected in some meteorites and are readily synthesized in prebiotic experiments. These molecules may have been precursors of oligomers and polymers in the early Earth.