To date, three samples from near-Earth asteroids have been delivered to Earth by Japan’s Hayabusa (2010) and Hayabusa2 (2020) missions, and the United States OSIRIS-REx mission (2023).
astro-ph.EP
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Carbonaceous Chondrites Provide Evidence For Late-stage Planetesimal Formation In A Pressure Bump
Carbonaceous chondrites are samples from planetesimals that formed 2-4 million years after solar system formation began.
![Overview of the MIRI-MRS spectra of the three T Tauri disks along with ALMA views of their dust emission for illustrative purposes. The mid-IR emission is dominated by a dust continuum with particularly flat silicate features in DL Tau and V1094 Sco, revealing large micron-sized grains with a prominent silica feature. The 13-16 µm region shows a wealth of molecular features with a prominent C2H2, HCN, and CO2 features outlined in Fig. 2. In addition the pure rotational lines of H2 and the Ne [II] line are seen in all three disks. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MINDS.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
MINDS: Intertwined Evolution Of Dust And Gas In Large Planet-forming Disks. A Diversity Driven By Halted Pebble Drift?
(Abridged) We aim to investigate the inner regions of large and massive disks orbiting T Tauri stars, thought to be progenitors of systems with wide-orbit planets and possible cases of […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Toward Inferring the Surface Fluxes of Biosignature Gases on Rocky Exoplanets from Telescope Spectra
The James Webb Space Telescope and the future Habitable Worlds Observatory aim to discover exoplanet atmospheric spectra that detect life. Currently, most existing spectral “retrieval” algorithms focus on inferring the […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report
Coupled Orbital And Interior Structure Evolution Of Lava Planets
Lava planets likely did not form in their current orbits, instead migrating inward via orbital decay, which influenced the evolution of their magma oceans.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report
Europa’s Lyman-α Emissions From HST/STIS Observations
Context. An image of Lyman-α (Lyα) emission from Europa obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) provided the first evidence for localized water vapor (H2O) aurora, […]
![[TOP] Time evolution of H2 mixing ratio for an atmosphere with 100% H2O. The heatmaps display vertical profiles over the 360-day simulation duration, with pressure (in bars) on the y-axis and time (in days) on the x-axis. The upper row shows results from the YMDF and FF models, while the bottom row corresponds to the FF 400 K and the CF model, as indicated on the panels. [BOTTOM] Heatmaps of CH4 mixing ratio in the atmosphere with 1% H2O over the 360-day simulation period for an atmosphere containing 100% water vapour analogous to the previous Fig. 8 -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Stellar-Flare-driven-Evolution.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Stellar Flare-driven Evolution Of Primordial Early Exo-Earth Atmospheres: Insights From A Young M Dwarf Flare Model
Context. M dwarfs are key targets for terrestrial exoplanet studies, with prospects for atmospheric spectroscopy. However, strong stellar magnetic activity and frequent flaring require modelling efforts to assess their impact […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Titan
Feeling the Pressure: Effects of Formation Pressure on the Physical Properties of Titan Haze Analogs
The Cassini-Huygens mission detected large negative ions in Titan’s ionosphere at pressures as low as 10−6 torr. These ions ultimately polymerize to form Titan’s complex organic haze particles, which are […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Inversion of Hydrogen-rich Atmosphere and Water Content for GJ 486b
GJ-486b is a close-in planet orbiting an M dwarf and is therefore expected to have undergone strong atmospheric escape. Motivated by theoretical and observational studies on the constraints of its […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Secular Light Curve of Exocomet 3I/ATLAS, and its Location on a Comet Evolutionary Diagram
In this work we will create the Secular Light Curve (SLC) of exocomet 3I/ATLAS, using the SLC-Methodology (Ferrin 2010-2023). The SLCs give a throve of new information and allow the […]