Context. Acetone (CH3COCH3) is a carbonyl-bearing complex organic molecule, yet interstellar observations of acetone remain limited. Studying the formation and distribution of CH3COCH3. in the interstellar medium can provide valuable […]
ALMA
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Astrochemistry: Mysterious Interstellar Icy Objects And Organic Molecules
Organic molecules that serve as the building blocks of life are believed to form in space, but their exact formation sites and delivery mechanisms to planets remain a major mystery […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
ALMA Reveals Thermal and Non-thermal Desorption of Methanol Ice in the HD 100546 Protoplanetary Disk
Methanol (CH3OH) and formaldehyde (H2CO) are chemically coupled organic molecules proposed to act as an intermediate step between simple molecules and more complex prebiotic compounds.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
Orion’s Erupting Star System Reveals Its Secrets
An unusual group of stars in the Orion constellation have revealed their secrets. FU Orionis, a double star system, first caught astronomers’ attention in 1936 when the central star suddenly […]
![Radius of observed planetesimal belts as a function of host star luminosity (black and white points with error bars). The white shaded region represents the ±1σ range of power laws (about the best fit) allowed by the data, including the intrinsic scatter as well as the uncertainty in the observed radii. The background colour map represents the selection probability (%), or percentage of belts that would pass the selection effects at a given [R-L⋆] location, assuming unobserved belts have the same distribution of parameters [d,RBB/R, M, λ0, β] as the observed population. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/REsolved-ALMA-and-SMA-Observations.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
REsolved ALMA and SMA Observations of Nearby Stars (REASONS): A Population of 74 Resolved Planetesimal Belts at Millimetre Wavelengths
Planetesimal belts are ubiquitous around nearby stars, and their spatial properties hold crucial information for planetesimal and planet formation models. We present resolved dust observations of 74 planetary systems as […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
A Large Number Of Exocomets Have Been Discovered
CfA astronomers and its Submillimeter Array were critical for identifying a cache of belts where comets may reside outside our Solar System.
![Stokes I (top), polarized intensity (PI) (middle) and polarization fraction (PF) (bottom) at 0.87, 1.3, 2.1 and 2.7 mm wavelengths plotted against right ascension (Δα) and declination (Δδ). Polarization vectors are also shown on the PI and PF images. The Stokes I and PI are converted to the brightness temperature (TB) by assuming the Rayleigh–Jeans approximation. The PF and polarization vectors are plotted where the polarized intensity is detected above the 3σ noise level. Contours on the PI and PF images indicate the brightness temperatures of the Stokes I emission of [0.1, 1, 10, 20] K for 0.87 mm, [0.1, 1, 5, 10, 20] K for 1.3 mm, [0.1, 1, 5, 9] K for 2.1 mm and [0.06, 0.3, 1, 3] K for 2.7 mm. The resolution (beam size) is shown as a small ellipse in the lower left corner of each panel. -- NAOJ](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Stellar-Magnetic-Fingerprints.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Press Release
Stellar Magnetic Fingerprints And Planetary Formation
For the first time astronomers have succeeded in observing the magnetic field around a young star where planets are thought to be forming. The team was able to use dust […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Astrochemistry: Webb Investigates A Dusty And Dynamic Disc
Herbig-Haro objects are small nebulae found in star formation regions, marking the locations where gas flowing out from young stars is heated into luminescence by shockwaves. HH 30 is an […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Resolved Gas Temperatures and 12C/13C ratios in SVS13A from ALMA Observations of CH3CN and CH3-13-CN
Context. Multiple systems are common in field stars, and the frequency is found to be higher in early evolutionary stages. Thus, the study of young multiple systems during the embedded […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
ALMA Observations of CO Isotopologues Towards Six Obscured post-AGB Stars
Low- and intermediate-mass stars evolve through the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), when an efficient mass-loss process removes a significant fraction of their initial mass.