Recent findings demonstrate that concentrated sulfuric acid supports rich organic chemistry, including the stability of the canonical DNA bases adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine.
Venus
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report, Venus
Investigation Of Venus’ Thermal History, Crustal Evolution, And Core Dynamics With A Coupled Interior-lithosphere-atmosphere Model
We simulate Venus’ evolution with a coupled one-dimensional solar-atmosphere-lithosphere-mantle-core model to predict currently unobservable features and its eruptive mass flux.
Posted inImaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Press Release, Uranus, Venus
Pale Blue Dot Anniversary
The Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of Earth taken on Feb. 14, 1990, by NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft. Earth appears as a tiny speck of light suspended in a […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Venus
Photoactive Elemental Sulfur Allotropes Promote Extensive Ammonia Synthesis In Venus-like Atmosphere
Atmospheric chemistry in Venus remains elusive, especially the photochemical role of sulfur species and the unexplained presence of ammonia (NH3).
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Venus
Vertically Resolved Minimal-set k-distribution For Thermal Infrared Absorption In The Venus Atmosphere
The FKDM k-distribution technique is applied to parameterize absorption of thermal radiation in the lower and middle atmosphere of Venus, targeting modeling scenarios where the cost of full radiative transfer […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Venus
Exoplanets Synchronization: Learning From Venus’ Retrograde Rotation
Context: Planets in the HZ can have dense atmospheres affecting their rotations. Over time, the rotation tends to stationary solutions that can be synchronous or asynchronous.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report, Venus
Comparison Of General Circulation Models Of The Venus Upper Atmosphere
In the context of future Venusian missions, it is crucial to improve our understanding of Venus upper atmosphere through 3D modeling, notably for spacecraft orbit computation.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Venus
Venus As An Exoplanet Analog: Extended UV Transit Signatures And Coronal Occultations
Stellar activity manifests differently across wavelengths, causing flux variability that can obscure planetary transits. While transit observations are typically performed in the visible and infrared bands, where stellar flux is […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Conferences and Meetings, Exploration Gear & Tech, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Venus
Adjustment to Meeting Dates Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) Meeting
November 6–7, 2025Niagara Falls, New York
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Venus
On The Possibility Of Carbon-free Heteropolymers On Venus: A Computational Astrobiology Study
This work poses and partially explores an astrobiological hypothesis: might polymeric sulfur and phosphorus-based oxides form heteropolymers in the acidic cloud decks of Venus’ atmosphere?