HD 100453 Archives

This artist's conception shows a disk of dust and gas surrounding a young star with a large cavity carved out by a forming giant planet. These molecules originate from ices rich in organic matter that are heated by radiation from the star, forming gas. The detection of methanol, as well as the methanol isotopes, supports the idea that interstellar ices can survive the formation of planet-forming disks. Credit: CfA/M. Weiss

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Key Building Block For Life Discovered In A Planet-forming Disk

by Keith CowingJune 5, 2025June 5, 2025

CfA astronomers have helped discover rare types of methanol, a building block required for life as we know it to form.

Integrated intensity maps of the 0.9 mm dust continuum emission (taken from Rosotti et al. (2020)) and molecular line emission from the HD 100453 disk. For the line maps, the top right text notes the upper-energy level of the transition shown (see Table 1) and in all plots the beam is shown in the bottom left corner of each panel. The units of the color bar are mJy beam−1 km s−1 for the molecular lines and mJy beam−1 for the continuum and the position of HD 100453 A is marked with a star. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Status Report

Ice Sublimation In The Dynamic HD 100453 Disk Reveals A Rich Reservoir Of Inherited Complex Organics

by Keith CowingApril 22, 2025April 22, 2025

Protoplanetary disks around luminous young A-type stars are prime observational laboratories to determine the abundances of complex organic molecules (COMs) present during planet formation.

HD 100453

Key Building Block For Life Discovered In A Planet-forming Disk

Ice Sublimation In The Dynamic HD 100453 Disk Reveals A Rich Reservoir Of Inherited Complex Organics

Dinosaur-killing Asteroid Also Created A Dust Cloud That Insulated Earth, Charbroiling Cretaceous Creatures

Current Water Trapping Micro-habitats On The Surface Of Mars

Methanotrophy Under Extreme Alkalinity In A Serpentinizing System

ANDES, The High-resolution Spectrograph Oof The ELT: Simulated Performance Of The CORO Module And Overview Of The High-contrast Capabilities For Exoplanet Observations

When Polymers Meet Primitive Membranes: How Molecular Cooperation May Have Helped Life Begin