[University of Chicago] In the search for extraterrestrial life, it makes sense to first look for rocky planets with an atmosphere, like Earth. Without an atmosphere, a planet can’t have […]
atmosphere
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Stellar Flares Rather Than High Tint As Possible Cause For the Missing Methane In Young Exoplanets: The Case Study of V1298-Tau b
[astro-ph.EP] Recent observations of V1298-Tau b, a warm sub-Neptune (R=9.85±0.3R⊕, M=13.1±5.3,M⊕, Teq=670K) orbiting a young (10-30Myr) K star, show depleted methane and surprising abundances of CO2 in its atmosphere.
![Figure showing the structure of pure carbon planets ranging from 0.1 to 20 Earth masses with a surface temperature of 300K. Color bar indicates density in g/cm3 . -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Modeling-Carbon.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Modeling Carbon-Based Planets with MAGRATHEA
[astro-ph.EP] A planet’s interior structure not only influences its habitability, but it also provides information about the planet’s formation and history.
Posted inTitan
Experimental Measurements of Benzene Ice Critical Saturation Ratios on Titan Tholins and Impact on the Microphysical Modeling of Titan’s South Polar Benzene Cloud
[The Planetary Science Journal] The Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer revealed the presence of a benzene (C6H6) ice cloud in Titan’s autumn south polar stratosphere following the northern spring equinox in […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
A Clearer View of HAT-P-1 b: JWST NIRSpec G395H Reveals Water, Carbon Dioxide, and Possibly Hydrogen Sulfide
[astro-ph.EP] As part of JWST’s Exoplanet Grand Tour Survey, we use panchromatic transmission spectroscopy to connect HAT-P-1 b’s previously studied optical and near-infrared atmosphere to the longer-wavelength molecular bands accessible […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Cultivation Of Halophilic Archaea In Shallow Subsurface Martian Conditions Has Implications For Extant Life On Mars
[biorxiv.org] The present-day martian surface is generally considered inhospitable to life because of low atmospheric pressure, intense surface radiation, global desiccation, and oxidizing chemistry which has been increasing since the […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather
Atmospheric Retrieval of Combined JWST, HST, and Ground-Based Observations Reveals a Featureless Transmission Spectrum for GJ 1132 b
[astro-ph.EP] We present a panchromatic transmission spectrum of GJ1132b spanning 0.71–5.16 μm, combining published transit observations from Magellan/LDSS3C, HST/WFC3 G141, and JWST/NIRSpec (G395H and G395M).
![Global Temperature contour maps of Venus with VEX RO serving as the primary reference dataset. The data binning is the same as in Figure 4. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Study-on.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inVenus
Study On The Venusian Atmospheric Thermal Structure: A Comparative Analysis Between VEX/Akatsuki And Venus-GRAM/VCD
[astro-ph.EP] We investigate the thermal structure of the Venusian middle atmosphere between 45 and 80 km using radio occultation (RO) measurements from Venus Express and Akatsuki spanning 2006-2024.
![Cumulative oxygen loss for planets at the habitable zone of each sample star over 1 Gyr, assuming constant stellar XUV flux at the HZ and no replenishment of oxygen. The curves are calculated using the energy-limited O2 loss prescription from V. S. Airapetian et al. 2017. Colored lines show individual stars, with solid segments representing the earliest ages (for stars with age ranges) and dashed segments extending beyond the minimum age. The black solid line shows the solar reference. Horizontal lines indicate the present-day Earth atmospheric O2 content (∼0.2 bars; dotted) and the total mass of Earth’s oceans (∼240 bars; dashed), providing reference levels for planetary habitability. -- [astro-ph.SR]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Panchromatic.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inHabitable Zones
Panchromatic Spectra of Nearby Low-mass and Sun-like Stars with Directly Imageable Habitable Zones
[astro-ph.SR] Characterizing the high-energy radiation environments of stars plays a critical role in determining which systems’ planets are capable of retaining atmospheres and sustaining habitable conditions.
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.