[Kyushu University] Planetary systems like our solar system are born within a disk of gas and dust (protoplanetary disk) surrounding a newly formed star. Observations with the ALMA telescope have […]
ALMA
![Full JWST spectrum of HOPS-68. We indicate the molecular absorption bands of oxygen-bearing molecules as studied in this work (SiO, H2O, CO2 and CO) and of carbon-bearing molecules as studied in paper B, as well as the most notable ice and silicate absorption features. Not indicated are 13CCH2, CS, and CH4 in the 7.3-7.8 µm region, and CH3, C4H2 and C6H2 around ∼ 16 µm, which will all be studied in paper B. Some prominent H2 emission lines are highlighted with a black arrow. HOPS-68 is not detected in continuum at wavelengths lower than 2.2 µm. The inset shows a zoom-in to the 7.8-8.6 µm region, which highlights the detection of SiO. -- [astro-ph.SR]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/A-breath.png?resize=1200%2C558&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
A Breath Of Fresh Air: Oxygen Enhancement From Silicate Sublimation During Early Protostellar Evolution
[astro-ph.SR] Recently, an analog to the t = 0 moment of our Solar System’s meteoritic record was identified for the first time around the Class I protostar HOPS-315.
![First detection of fully deuterated methanol in interstellar space This composite image shows the Perseus molecular cloud, which is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth. A rare form of the organic alcohol methanol has been observed around at least one of the very young stars still embedded within it. This is the first time this molecule has been detected in space, as shared by the ALMA COMPASS Large Program (Complex Organic Molecules in Protostars with ALMA Spectral Surveys). Credit: Ekaterina Moerova / MPIfR; Background: NASA, CXC, SSC, NOAO, DSS; and 3D image of methanol fromPubChem [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2004-. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 887, Methanol; [cited 2026 July 16]. -- [NRAO]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Exotic.png?resize=1200%2C724&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Exotic Methanol Discovered In Planet-Building Zones
[NRAO] An international team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a partner (NSF NRAO), has […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Complex Organic Molecules In Protostars With ALMA Spectral Surveys (COMPASS) VII. First Interstellar Detection Of Fully Deuterated Methanol
[astro-ph.GA] There have been no robust identifications of fully deuterated methanol, CD3OD, in the interstellar medium (ISM) to date.
Posted inAstrochemistry
Complex Organic Molecules in Protostars with ALMA Spectral Surveys (COMPASS) II. Approach To Data Reduction And Products For Line-rich Broadband (sub)millimeter Spectra
[astro-ph.SR] Studying the chemical composition of the warm gas surrounding embedded solar-type protostars is one of the areas for which the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is particularly well suited.
![Moment 0 maps of the molecular lines. (d) rms = 0.005 Jy beam−1 km s−1 (3, 4, 5, 6 σ); (e) rms = 0.0077 Jy beam−1 km s−1 (5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 σ); (f) rms = 0.009 Jy beam−1 km s−1 (5, 7, 9, 11 σ); (g) rms = 0.0039 Jy beam−1 km s−1 (3, 4, 5 σ). Close-up images of each panel are shown below. These regions are indicated by a white dashed square in panel (a). Color scales are adjusted for the close-up ones. The black and white contours are the continuum map same as in the right panel of Figure 1. -- [astro-ph.GA]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/A-Cyanopolyyne.png?resize=1200%2C721&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
A Cyanopolyyne-rich But COM-poor Massive Protostar: The First Hot Carbon Chain Chemistry Source G28.28-0.36
[astro-ph.GA] We present molecular emission line data from the massive young stellar object (MYSO) G28.28-0.36 (G28.28) obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 3. Cyanopolyynes (HC3N and HC5N) and […]
![Ratio maps involving the PAH7.7 feature and the F1500W synthetic photometry applied to the MRS cubes for ASPECS galaxies. The first row of panels shows the maps of the total PAH7.7 feature to the synthetic F1500W photometry. Ratios above 1 are possible because the wings of the PAH feature extend well beyond the filter (see text for details and Donnan et al. 2026b). The second row of panels is the fraction of PAH7.7 feature within the F1500W filter to the synthetic F1500W photometry. The third row of panels is the same as the second but for the fraction of continuum emission within the F1500W to the synthetic F1500W photometry -- [astro-ph.GA]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/PAHSPECS.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
PAHSPECS: JWST/MIRI Spectroscopy Of PAHs at Cosmic Noon
[astro-ph.GA] The physical conditions of the interstellar medium (ISM) are thought to differ greatly at high redshifts compared to local galaxies. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are key ISM constituents, mediating […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
The First Complete Picture Of (Gas) Planet Formation In Action
[Max Planck Institute for Astronomy] Over the past decades, astronomers have reconstructed a fairly complete scenario for planet formation, from minute dust motes clumping together to the emergence of rocky […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Youngest Exoplanet Yet Discovered Found Hiding in Keck Observatory Data
[W.M.Keck Observatory] Astronomers have confirmed the youngest exoplanet detected so far, offering a rare glimpse into the earliest stages of planetary formation. The planet, known as Elias 2-24 b, is […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
JWST/MIRI Imaging Search for Kinematically Detected Protoplanetary Candidates
[astro-ph.EP] Kinematic perturbations observed with ALMA in CO line emission provide evidence for a population of embedded giant protoplanets shaping the structure of protoplanetary disks.