[Chem EurJ] The phosphorylation of nucleosides and their subsequent polymerization are key issues in the study of the Origins of Life. How these chemical processes took place on primitive Earth […]
astrochemistry
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Ammonia And An Unexpected Chill Discovered On Distant Giant Planet HATS-6 b
[University of Maryland] Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of astronomers led by the University of Maryland identified water, methane and ammonia in the atmosphere of HATS-6 […]
Posted inMeteorites & Asteroids
A Glimpse of the Solar System’s Origins: Striking Details on the Molecules Inside a Meteorite
[Brookhaven National Laboratory] Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory have teamed up to get a fresh look at the complex makeup of meteorites and […]
![Observed lightcurve of Atira in 𝑉 and 𝑅𝐶 bands. A scaling of +0.43 mag is applied to all 𝑅𝐶 magnitudes. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Nordic-based.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Nordic-based Observations Of Binary Asteroid (163693) Atira Reveal A Hydrated CM Chondrite Composition
[astro-ph.EP] We present photometric, spectroscopic, and polarimetric observations of (163693) Atira collected on the night of 05 March 2024. A dual-band lightcurve acquired in the V and R_C filters using […]
![Schematic of the experimental chamber setup. -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Laboratory.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Laboratory Evidence that Methanol-Rich Ice Mantles Lower Methyl Formate Binding Energies
[astro-ph.IM] Complex organic molecules are widely detected in star-forming regions and are important precursors to prebiotic species. Because these molecules are thought to form primarily within icy grain mantles, their […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Thioacetaldehyde (CH3CHS) On Interstellar Ices: A Key Molecule To Unravel Two Chemical Dichotomies In The ISM
[astro-ph.GA] Thioacetaldehyde (CH3CHS), recently detected in TMC-1, has an abundance approximately 36 times lower than its oxygen analog, acetaldehyde (CH3CHO). This makes the CH3CHS/CH3CHO pair the one with the largest […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Interstellar Disparity: N- vs O-bearing Molecules: A Multidisciplinary Perspective across Interstellar Environments
[astro-ph.GA] Observations of O- and N-bearing molecules reveal systematic chemical differentiation across a wide range of interstellar environments.
![Schematic representation of the chemical concept explored in this work. (A) Ethanolamine (EtA, NH2CH2CH2OH), methanol (CH3OH), and water (H2O) are subjected to electron irradiation, illustrating the starting molecular components and the formation of an unresolved product inventory after energetic processing. The question mark denotes the chemically diverse products investigated by FTIR, TPD-QMS, and ESI-MS. (B) Structure of the choline cation, [(CH3)3NCH2CH2OH]+ , included as a structurally related reference for assessing methylated EtA-derived and/or choline-like spectral features. -- [astro-ph.GA]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Electron.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Electron Irradiation And Temperature-programmed Desorption Of Layered Ethanolamine-water-methanol Ices
[astro-ph.GA]. Ethanolamine (EtA) is a recently detected interstellar complex organic molecule and a potential precursor to more functionalised N-bearing species.
![Surviving CH4 fraction as a function of depth below the surface and effective GCR exposure time. The colour scale gives the CH4 abundance relative to its initial value, while the dashed contours indicate 90%, 50%, and 10% remaining CH4. Vertical dashed lines mark the 3σ viable GCR exposure range of 0.87 - 3.12 Gyr. Increasing GCR exposure progressively extends CH4 depletion to greater depths while more deeply shielded layers retain a larger fraction of their primordial CH4. --[astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Delayed.png?resize=1200%2C713&ssl=1)
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Delayed Methane Detection in 3I/ATLAS: GCR-Driven Subsurface Stratification and Interstellar Exposure Age Constraints
[astro-ph.EP] Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS shows unusual volatile activity, including strong H2O, CO, and CO2 production and a delayed post-perihelion detection of CH4.
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Multiband Color Monitoring of 3I/ATLAS Through Ground-Based Relay Observations
[astro-ph.EP] We present multiband, long-baseline photometric observations of interstellar comet 3I throughout its 2025–2026 apparition using coordinated ground-based global relay observations.