Molecules are ubiquitous in space. They are necessary components in the creation of habitable planetary systems and can provide the basic building blocks of life.
ice
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ice Planet Survey: 85 New Subglacial Lakes Detected Below Antarctica
Hidden beneath the biggest ice mass on Earth, hundreds of subglacial lakes form a crucial part of Antarctica’s icy structure, affecting the movement and stability of glaciers, and consequentially influencing […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
A Fast Machine Learning Tool To Predict The Composition Of Astronomical Ices From Infrared Absorption Spectra
Current observations taken by James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) allow us to observe the absorption features of icy mantles that cover interstellar dust grains, which are mainly composed of H2O, […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Mars, Status Report
A Slice of Ice On Mars
This HiRISE image shows a deposit draping the surface like a blanket. The deposit is eroding away, and near the center of the image we can see a section that […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Evidence For Ultra-water-rich Ammonia Hydrates Stabilized In Icy Exoplanetary Mantles
Understanding the behavior of the water-ammonia system at high pressure-high temperature conditions is important for modeling the internal dynamics of exoplanet icy mantles.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
21st-Century Astrobiology Missions Should Seek These High-Confidence Biosignatures in Mid-Latitude Martian Ice
This white paper was submitted to NASA’s Search For Life Science Analysis Group (SFL-SAG).
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Mapping Water Ice With Infrared Broadband Photometry
Interstellar ices play a fundamental role in the physical and chemical evolution of molecular clouds and star-forming regions, yet their large-scale distribution and abundance remain challenging to map.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release
Mars Glaciers Are Purer And More Uniform Than Previously Thought
On the slopes of Martian mountains and craters clings what appears to be flowing honey, coated in dust and frozen in time. In reality, these features are incredibly slow-moving glaciers, […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Ice Planet Survey: Evidence Of Lost Mountains From Antarctica’s Past
A new study led by University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh geologist Timothy Paulsen and University of Colorado Boulder thermochronologist Jeff Benowitz advances the understanding of the geologic history of Transantarctic Mountains bedrock, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Interstellar Chemistry of CN Radicals on Ices: The Formation of CH3CN and CH3NC and Potential Connection to Acetamide
Context. Among the most significant chemical functional groups of interstellar molecules are the class of nitriles, which are proposed as key prebiotic molecules due to their chemical connection to the […]