Methanol, the simplest complex organic molecule found in space, is considered a key compound necessary for the formation of chemical species of prebiotic interest. Methanol detections in protoplanetary disks remain […]
Comet
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A Direct View of the Chemical Properties of Water from Another Planetary System: Water D/H in 3I/ATLAS
All detected water reservoirs in the solar system exhibit a deuterium enrichment that links back to the physical environment at the time of stellar birth.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Time-Domain Photometry and Activity Evolution of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS with BHTOM
Time-domain photometric monitoring is essential for characterizing cometary evolution, particularly for rare interstellar objects with limited observing opportunities.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
ALMA Detects Extremely Abundant Alcohol in Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
Comet 3I/ATLAS continues to make astonishing headlines, thanks to new findings from astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Fossils & Paleontology, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Press Release
Life Forms Can Planet Hop On Asteroid Debris – And Survive
Tiny life forms tucked into debris from an asteroid hit could catapult to other planets – including Earth – and survive, a new Johns Hopkins University study finds.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
HATPI Pre-Perihelion Time-series Photometry of the Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
HATPI is a recently commissioned time-domain facility at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile, that uses 64 wide-angle, 9.6 cm diameter lenses and back-illuminated CCDs, yielding a mosaic field-of-view of 7,100 square […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Commercial & Private Sector, Exploration Gear & Tech, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Stations
Microbes Harvest Metals From Meteorites Aboard The International Space Station
If humankind is to explore deep space, one small passenger should not be left behind: microbes.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Meteorites & Asteroids, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return
This Student Made Cosmic Dust In Her Lab. What She Found Could Help Us Understand How Life Started On Earth
A Sydney PhD student has recreated a tiny piece of the Universe inside a bottle in her laboratory, producing cosmic dust from scratch. The results shed new light on how […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release, Sample Return
Abiotic Sugar Enantiomers In The CI Carbonaceous Chondrite Orgueil
The uneven detection of prebiotic organic compounds in meteorites—where amino acids and nucleobases are commonly identified but sugars remain rare and poorly characterized—limits our understanding of extraterrestrial organic chemistry.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Hydration Features on Near-Earth Objects: Integrating New Data with Prior Results
Near-Earth objects (NEOs) are excellent laboratories for testing processes that affect airless bodies, as well as informing us about Solar System history.