[Astronomy & Astrophysics] Water and, to a lesser extent, methanol are widespread in interstellar space as ices, where sustained exposure to ionizing radiation promotes the formation of complex compounds such […]
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Hidden Worlds: A Non-transiting Candidate Planet In The Neptunian Desert Around The Solar-type Pulsator KIC 9139163
[Astronomy & Astrophysics] Close-in substellar companions experience strong tidal and magnetic interactions with their host stars and are therefore subject to fast orbital evolution.
Posted inMagnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,
Tidal Locking As A Negative Feedback On Earth-like Planetary Dynamos: Consequences For Magnetic Shielding And Habitability
[Astronomy & Astrophysics] We investigate how tidal locking affects the magnetic field generation and magnetospheric protection of Earth-like planets orbiting the habitable zone of M dwarfs.
Posted inAstrochemistry
Astrochemistry: Dust And Water Spotted Close To A Giant Black Hole
[ESA]. Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to the supermassive black hole […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Earth As A Transiting Exoplanet
Context. Detecting and characterizing the atmosphere of rocky planets in the habitable zone is a key objective of exoplanet research in the era of JWST and the upcoming E-ELT. Spectroscopy […]
![WASP-39b transmission spectra and cloud scenarios. Spectra are observed with JWST (orange), HST (magenta), and VLT (green) in comparison to models with different Fe content: full IWF Graz cloud model (black line), Fe[s] replaced (dark gray), FeS[s] replaced (middle gray), and all Fe-binding materials replaced (light gray). The Fe-free mixed-material cloud compositions provide a good fit in the near-IR but not in the optical. — astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Exoplanet-climate.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Status Report
Exoplanet Climate Characterization With Transit Asymmetries
Context. Space missions such as CHEOPS, JWST, and PLATO facilitate detailed characterization of exoplanets, particularly close-in gas giants and their wide range of global temperatures and climate regimes.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Ice Giant, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Status Report, Titan, Uranus
HiDef Neighbors: Solar System Objects As Exoplanet Analogs I. Gaseous Objects, Planets, Planetary Systems, And Small Bodies
Context. Intermediate-resolution spectral observations are vital tools for characterizing the composition and physical properties of Solar System bodies in detail. At present, the planets and moons of our Solar System […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
The Role Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Astrochemical Modeling At Different Evolutionary Stages Of Cold Dense Cloud Cores
Context. Although the role of PAHs have been highlighted in recent years, it is crucial to verify their functions at different evolutionary stages of dark cloud cores.
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
ALMA Pinpoints The Radio Signature Of Planetary Growth
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have obtained an unprecedented multi-frequency view of a forming planet in the nearby star system PDS 70. The new study, led by […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Radiation, Status Report
X-ray Photodesorption Of Complex Organic Molecules In Protoplanetary Disks
Context. Nonthermal desorption from interstellar ices induced by X-rays, known as X-ray photodesorption, is a possible route to explain gas phase molecules detected in protoplanetary disks. However, the efficiency of […]