Small bodies are capable of delivering essential prerequisites for the development of life, such as volatiles and organics, to the terrestrial planets. For example, empirical evidence suggests that water was […]
Comet
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A Nearly Terrestrial D/H For Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Cometary comae are a mixture of gas and ice-covered dust. Processing on the surface and in the coma change the composition of ice on dust grains relative to that of […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
NASA Researchers Discover More Dark Comets
These celestial objects look like asteroids but act like comets now come in two flavors.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
NASA-Led Team Links Comet Water to Earth’s Oceans
Scientists find that cometary dust affects interpretation of spacecraft measurements, reopening the case for comets like 67P as potential sources of water for early Earth.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Enceladus, Europa, Icy Worlds, Status Report
Electron-Induced Radiolysis of Water Ice and the Buildup of Oxygen On Icy Worlds
Irradiation by energetic ions, electrons, and UV photons induces sputtering and chemical processes (radiolysis) in the surfaces of icy moons, comets, and icy grains.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Impact events, Press Release
The Response of Planetary Atmospheres to the Impact of Icy Comets I: Tidally-Locked exo-Earths
Impacts by rocky and icy bodies are thought to have played a key role in shaping the composition of solar system objects, including the Earth’s habitability. Hence, it is likely […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The Volatile Composition and Activity Evolution of Main-Belt Comet 358P/PANSTARRS
We report the detection of water vapor associated with main-belt comet 358P/PANSTARRS on UT 2024 January 8-9 using the NIRSPEC instrument aboard JWST.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
The Origin Of Most Meteorites Finally Revealed
An international team led by three researchers from the CNRS, the European Southern Observatory (ESO, Europe), and Charles University (Czech Republic) has successfully demonstrated that 70% of all known meteorite […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Evidence For Abiotic Dimethyl Sulfide In Cometary Matter
Technological progress related to astronomical observatories such as the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) allows searching for signs of life beyond our Solar System, namely in the form […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report
Prospects For The Crossing By Earth Of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS’s Ion Tail
The Earth will pass approximately downstream of the previous position of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) during 2024 October 10-13.