![Observation and modeling of the Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud (AMEC). (A) Observation by the Mars Express VMC imager41,42, at 8.5 a.m. Local Time. (B) Reference simulation assuming only heterogeneous nucleation, at 8.1 a.m. Local Time. (C) Same as B, but with homogeneous nucleation added. See also supplementary video S1.-- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Homogeneous.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] It is widely accepted that water vapor forms clouds by heterogeneous nucleation (condensation on pre-existing dry nuclei).
Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
![SpeX SXD spectrum of TOI-6981. The target spectrum (red) is shown alongside that of the M3.5V standard Luyten’s Star (grey), offset vertically for clarity. Regions of strong telluric absorption are shaded, and strong M-dwarf spectral features are indicated. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/TOI-6981.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
TOI-6981 b: A Transiting Sub-Neptune At The Water Ice Line
[astro-ph.EP] We present TOI-6981 b, a cold (Teq= 170.0 +/-4.5 K, assuming an Earth-like albedo) sub-Neptune (Rb=2.40+/-0.10 R⊕) on a 60.8 day orbit around around its M4-type host star (R*=0.304 […]
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Controlled Near-space Exposure Induces Community Restructuring In An Ocean Water Microbiome
[biorxiv.org] Marine microbiomes may experience extreme environmental stress during atmospheric transport, yet how near-space conditions reshape natural microbial communities remains poorly understood.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather
Ancient Seas Reveal Times When The Earth Rapidly Shifted Relative To Its Axis
[AAAS] Ancient sea-level changes provide new evidence that during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, Earth underwent episodes of rapid “true polar wander” (TPW).
Posted inTitan
Flow Dynamics Of Cryolava Or Impact Melt On Titan’s surface
[astro-ph.EP] Titan, a unique body in the solar system, resembles a life-size Miller-Urey experiment where pockets of liquid water might interact with abundant organic matter.
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Near-infrared Confocal Imaging Reveals The Spatial Organisation Of Far-red Photosynthesis In Shark Bay Microbial Mats And Halomicronema sp,
[Journal of Microscopy] Far-red light (FRL) cyanobacteria occupy spectrally filtered habitats where visible wavelengths are depleted but far-red radiation persists.
Posted inWater/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
How Ocean Chemistry On Earth Helped Life Keep Breathing
[UC Riverside] Scientists have helped solve a longstanding mystery about how Earth remained habitable after oxygen first accumulated in its atmosphere more than 2 billion years ago, providing evidence that […]
Posted inEnceladus
How Enceladus’ Ocean Spray Becomes Chemically Diverse Ice Grains
[Institute of Science Tokyo] Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus hides a global ocean beneath its frozen surface. From fractures near its south pole, material from this ocean is ejected into space […]
Posted inEnceladus
Enceladus Offers Clues In The Search For Extraterrestrial Life
[Free University Berlin] With a global ocean of liquid water below a thick crust of ice, Saturn’s moon Enceladus is one of the most promising places to search for life […]
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Dispersal Pathways And Infection Strategies Within The Global Halophilic Virome
[ISME Communications] Microbial biogeography has recently attracted significant attention for its potential to provide novel ecological and evolutionary insights, with environmental connectivity emerging as a key factor in the global […]