[ACS Central Science] Complex organic molecules in interstellar ices and carbonaceous asteroids record key steps in the chemical evolution toward life, yet the origin of branched carbonyl compounds a fundamental […]
astrochemistry
Posted inEnceladus
How Enceladus’ Ocean Spray Becomes Chemically Diverse Ice Grains
[Institute of Science Tokyo] Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus hides a global ocean beneath its frozen surface. From fractures near its south pole, material from this ocean is ejected into space […]
![Experimental schematic for sequential extraction of soluble organic material from meteorites for analysis by FT-ICR MS and HR-AFM. -- [Planetary Science Journal]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Direct-Molecular.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Direct Molecular-scale Insight Into Soluble Organic Matter From The Murchison and Aguas Zarcas Meteorites
[Planetary Science Journal] Organic material in the Murchison and Aguas Zarcas meteorites preserves molecular records of early solar system chemistry and potential precursors to life.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry
Uncatalyzed Guanosine Phosphorylation under Potentially Prebiotic Conditions
[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 […]
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.