The delivery of water to the inner Solar System rocky planets, including Earth, remains debated, as standard models assume that they formed from dry grains, inside the snowline of the […]
astrogeology
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Press Release
How Rock Removes CO2 From The Atmosphere
Rocks can bind carbon dioxide — and much faster than previously thought. For a long time, it was assumed that the transformation of CO2 into carbonate rock depends on very […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Sample Return, Status Report
The Science From Asteroid Sample Return Missions
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).
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
The Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Was Born Somewhere Much Different From Our Solar System
Less than a year ago, astronomers discovered a comet soaring through our sky that was not from our solar system.
![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 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 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 inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Desert Worlds, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report
Translucent Ice On Martian Dunes
Coordinating with the CaSSIS instrument on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, we acquired an image at this site for seasonal monitoring.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
From Dust to Planets — A Chemical Perspective
Chemical and chronological information preserved in meteorites permits the reconstruction of events and processes in the solar nebula from the formation of the first solids to the accretion of planetary […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Sample Return, Status Report
Correlative Microstructural Analysis of a Weathered Nantan Meteorite Fragment
The weathering of iron-rich phases within meteorites is a multi-stage process that significantly alters the microstructure and chemical composition based both on the environmental condition at the location of landing […]