[astro-ph.GA] In the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), shocks play a key role in triggering star formation and driving chemical enrichment. The Sgr B2 complex is a prime template, hosting massive […]
astrochemistry
Posted inAstrochemistry
Benzene Formation On Interstellar Dust Grain Analogues Via Single-Atom Fe Catalysis
[MRAS] Benzene has been detected across a range of astrophysical environments, though the primary mechanism underpinning its formation has not yet been constrained and the extreme conditions of the interstellar […]
![An artist's impression of the warm molecular gas cradle (hot core) surrounding a baby star discovered in a supernova remnant. Blue represents high-energy particles and photons produced by the supernova explosion, while brown represents interstellar matter. Credit: Takashi Shimonishi (Niigata University) [Based on observational results from this study, using drawing assistance from Google Gemini and ChatGPT]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Diverse-Organic.jpg?resize=1200%2C768&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Diverse Organic Molecules Discovered Surrounding A Newly Formed Star
[Niigata University] For the first time, astronomers have discovered stellar cocoons rich in complex organic molecules within a supernova remnant. A research team from Niigata University, Gifu University, RIKEN, and […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
The Mid-Infrared Transmission Spectrum of the Temperate Sub-Neptune TOI-270 d
[astro-ph.EP] Observations of temperate sub-Neptunes with JWST have ushered in a new era for atmospheric characterization of small exoplanets.
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Older Than The Sun: Astronomers Find New Clues To The Origin Of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
[ESO] Astronomers have used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) to study the composition of 3I/ATLAS, the brightest interstellar object ever seen, in detail.
Posted inAstrochemistry
Searching For The Elusive CH2+ With The James Webb Space Telescope. Another Carbocation To Constrain Astrochemical Networks
[astro-ph.GA] Carbocations are key species in interstellar chemistry, providing entry points for building larger hydrocarbons. CH+, and more recently, CH3+, have been detected. Other carbocations await detection to provide a […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
MINDS: Complementary Inclinations In The Binary Ssystem HK Tau Reveal Gas- And Ice-phase Chemistry
[astro-ph.EP] HK Tau is a roughly equal mass pre-main sequence binary system consisting of a low-inclination primary (57 deg) and an edge-on (83 deg) secondary. We present JWST/MIRI observations targeting […]
![Abundance trends of [X/Fe] versus [Fe/H]. The data points have been colour-coded by the estimated ages of the stars. The red and blue lines mark the smoothed running mean for stars that have ages greater than 9.5 Gyr, and less than 9.5 Gyr, respectively. -- astro-ph.GA](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Exploring-the-Milky.png?resize=1200%2C711&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Exploring The Milky Way Stellar Disk. Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur, Potassium, and Copper Abundances For 714 F and G dwarf Stars In The Solar Neighbourhood
[astro-ph.GA] We aim to determine abundances of carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, potassium, and copper for 714 nearby F and G dwarf and subgiant stars, and to re-derive oxygen abundances using updated […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Dual Use Technology – An Astrochemistry Spin Off
Editor’s note: many of the tools that are used in astronomy to conduct analyses of chemistry in space – astrochemistry – utilize technology that has had long-standing applications in a […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Photodynamics Of Amino Acids Under UV Excitation: Extraterrestrial Amino Acids
[J. Chem. Phys.] The detection of amino acids in extraterrestrial environments has important implications for astrobiology and prebiotic chemistry, yet the pathways to their syntheses and their photostability under such […]