One of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission goals of the European Space Agency, launched in 2023 April, is the detailed characterization of Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon and a […]
icy world
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Intelligence & Language, Interstellar, Press Release, SETI & Technosignatures
SETI Institute Looks for Signs of Technology in Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS
Scientists at the SETI Institute searched for technological signals from 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object observed in our Solar System.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The Physical Nature of Regolith on Icy Moons
Estimating surface properties such as porosity and grain sizes is key for planning lander missions and landing site selection on icy moons.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
JWST Reveals Anomalously Enhanced Methane Outgassing From Below Chiron’s Water Ice And Carbon Dioxide Bearing Surface
Centaurs are inward-scattered Kuiper belt objects, with some exhibiting comet-like activity. The physical mechanisms powering this activity remain poorly understood, with carbon monoxide (CO) sublimation or the crystallization of amorphous […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Icy Worlds, Saturn, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Titan’s Organic World
Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, possesses a dense N2–CH4 atmosphere driving complex organic chemistry. The interplay among photochemistry, aerosol formation, organic cloud condensation, and surface deposition makes Titan a natural laboratory […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
SwRI Findings Reconsider The Existence Of Europa’s Vapor Plumes
Looking back at 14 years of Hubble telescope data for Jupiter’s moon Europa has given Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scientists a better understanding of its tenuous atmosphere. The findings have […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Callisto, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Press Release
Ganymede Might Still Be Forming Its Metal Core Today
Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system; at over 3,200 miles across, it is larger than the planet Mercury. It is also the only moon with […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A Framework For Evaluating Biosignature Potential Against The Abiotic Baseline On Ocean Worlds
Ocean worlds are considered as targets for life detection missions because they meet several key requirements for habitability. However, identifying potential life on other worlds requires observing clear and unambiguous […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Two Spacecraft Observed Both Hemispheres Of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Simultaneously
The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instruments aboard ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft and NASA’s Europa Clipper made unique observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in late 2025. […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release
Ice Planet Orbital Recon: Greenland’s Changing Ice
Greenland is the world’s largest island and about 80% of its surface is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet, the second largest ice mass on Earth after the Antarctic Ice […]