Understanding the formation history of planets is one of the goals of studying exoplanet atmospheres. The atmospheric composition of planets can provide insights into the formation pathways of planets. Even […]
astrogeology
Posted inAstrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Sample Return, Status Report
ESA/NASA Mars Sample Return Away Team Campaign in Iceland
A team of martian scientists scouts the foothills of a volcano in Iceland hunting for a particular type of soil that matches samples collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover on the […]
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Moon, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return
Removal Of Magnetic Spacecraft Contamination Within Extraterrestrial Samples Is Easy To Do
For decades, scientists have pondered the mystery of the moon’s ancient magnetism. Based on analyses of lunar samples, its now-deceased magnetic field may have been active for more than 1.5 […]
Posted inCommercial & Private Sector, Cubesats and smallsats, Interstellar, Missions & Hardware, Proxima Centauri, Status Report
Swarming Proxima Centauri: Coherent Picospacecraft Swarms Over Interstellar Distances
Tiny gram-scale interstellar probes pushed by laser light are likely to be the only technology capable of reaching another star this century. We presuppose availability by mid-century of a laser […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Press Release
Astronomers Spot WASP-193b – A Giant Planet As Light As Cotton Candy
Astronomers at MIT, the University of Liège in Belgium, and elsewhere have discovered a huge, fluffy oddball of a planet orbiting a distant star in our Milky Way galaxy. The […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report
Volatile Atmospheres Of Lava Worlds
A magma ocean (MO) is thought to be a ubiquitous stage in the early evolution of rocky planets and exoplanets. During the lifetime of the MO, exchanges between the interior […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Interstellar, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Planet Formation Regulated By Galactic-scale Interstellar Turbulence
Planets form from protoplanetary discs of dust and gas that surround stars younger than a few million years. The properties of these discs dictate how planets grow, determining the nature, […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Interior Controls on the Habitability of Rocky Planets
Investigations into habitability have provided ample opportunity for not only reflection as to its nature but also planetary evolution processes in general. Agreeing on a definition for habitability has proved […]
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Moon, People Of Astrobiology, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Away Team Practice: NASA Field Geology Training Prepares Artemis Mission Support Teams
NASA engineers, managers, and flight directors recently traded their cubicles and conference rooms for an ancient volcanic field in the northern Arizona desert to participate in a field geology course […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Abundances Of Elements In Solar Systems
The relationship between stars and planets provides important information for understanding the interior composition, mineralogy, and overall classification of small planets (R ≲ 3.5R⊕).