When searching for exoplanets and ultimately considering their habitability, it is necessary to consider the planet’s composition, geophysical processes, and geochemical cycles in order to constrain the bioessential elements available […]
astrochemistry
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Sample Return
Cryogenic Cometary Sample Return
Comets likely formed in the outer regions of the protosolar nebula where they incorporated and preserved primitive presolar materials, volatiles resident in the outer disk, and more refractory materials from […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Early Science from GOTHAM: Project Overview, Methods, and the Detection of Interstellar Propargyl Cyanide (HCCCH2CN) in TMC-1
We present an overview of the GOTHAM (GBT Observations of TMC-1: Hunting Aromatic Molecules) Large Program on the Green Bank Telescope. This and a related program were launched to explore […]
Posted inMeteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Meteorite Study Suggests Earth May Have Been Wet Since It Formed
A new study finds that Earth’s water may have come from materials that were present in the inner solar system at the time the planet formed — instead of far-reaching […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Tracing The Cosmic Origin Of Complex Organic Molecules With Their Radiofrequency Footprint
The origin of life on Earth is a topic that has piqued human curiosity since probably before recorded history began. But how did the organic matter that constitutes lifeforms even […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Pristine Space Rock Offers NASA Scientists Peek at Evolution of Life's Building Blocks
During a 2012 expedition to Antarctica, a team of Japanese and Belgian researchers picked up a small rock that appeared coal black against the snow white. Now known as meteorite […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Constraining Prebiotic Chemistry Through a Better Understanding of Earth's Earliest Environments
Any search for present or past life beyond Earth should consider the initial processes and related environmental controls that might have led to its start. As on Earth, such an […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Stars Rich In Phosphorus: Seeds Of Life In The Universe
All the chemical elements in the universe, except for hydrogen and most of the helium, were produced inside stars. But among them there are a few (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Stellar Pulsations Distribute Key Ingredient for Life
As Carl Sagan famously said, “We’re made of star stuff” — but how do stars distribute their essential “stuff” for life into space? NASA’s telescope on an airplane, SOFIA, is […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
Volatile Sample Return in the Solar System
We advocate for the realization of volatile sample return from various destinations including: small bodies, the Moon, Mars, ocean worlds/satellites, and plumes. As part of recent mission studies (e.g., Comet […]