![LOCO-CV predicted vs DFT binding energies for 13 adsorbate species on ASW12 clusters. Each point represents a single adsorbate–surface configuration, coloured by species identity; asterisks denote radical species. Pooled metrics across all leave-one-cluster-out folds: R2 = 0.896, RMSE = 574 K, MAE = 378 K. -- [astro-ph.GA]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AstroBind.png?resize=1200%2C715&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.GA] Binding energies on amorphous solid water regulate molecular desorption in molecular clouds and protoplanetary disks, but computing them from first principles across the heterogeneous binding sites of disordered ice […]
icy worlds
Posted inAstrochemistry
Experimental Astrochemistry And Machine Learning Unravel The Formation Of Oxygen-bearing Organic Molecules In Extraterrestrial Ices
[Nature Communications Chemistry] Oxygen-bearing organic molecules, including aldehydes, alcohols, and peroxides, serve as key precursors to complex organics in extraterrestrial environments. Their non-equilibrium formation mechanisms critically constrain the molecular complexity […]
![Microscopic Image of Organic Ice Mixture captured from the O-PTIR high resolution microscope. -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Detection-of-Organics.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Detection of Organics in Water Ice by Optical-PhotoThermal Infrared Spectroscopy
[astro-ph.IM] The detection and characterization of organic molecules within water ice is vital for interpreting observations of icy moons and comets. However, organic-ice interactions often distort intrinsic water-ice absorption features, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Callisto, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Temperature-programmed Desorption Of SO2 From Water Ice Surfaces: Adsorption Energy Distributions
Context. Sulphur-bearing species play a key role in the chemical evolution of the interstellar medium and icy Solar System bodies such as the Jovian moons, yet the sulphur budget remains […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Conferences and Meetings, Courses, Icy Worlds, Status Report
Summer School: Icy Bodies and Life in Tartu, Estonia
Summer School: Icy Bodies and Life in Tartu, Estonia1 – 8 August, 2026 The summer school Icy Bodies and Life (Tartu, Estonia 1-8 August 2026) is going to provide the […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Icy Worlds, Neptune, Status Report, Uranus
Reassessing Planetary Composition: Evidence Of Rock-dominated Envelopes In Uranus And Neptune
Although Uranus and Neptune are commonly classified as ice giants, their exact compositions remain poorly constrained. Recent studies of outer Solar System bodies challenge the traditional view that these planets […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
CO and N2 Produced from H2O, CO2, and NH3 Cometary Ice Analogs
Hypervolatile species such as carbon monoxide (CO) and molecular nitrogen (N2) have been detected in comets, and could be used to constrain comet formation temperature conditions if their presence is […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
The SPHEREx Ices Investigation: An Overview
SPHEREx is a NASA mission designed to perform an all-sky spectroscopic survey in the 0.75 – 5 μm wavelength range. Its primary science objectives are to investigate: (1) inflationary cosmology, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Ice Giant, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Key To Researching Large Planets: Research Team Discovers Novel Form Of Water
Temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius and pressures of millions of atmospheres: superionic water only forms under extreme conditions. These conditions transform water into an unusual state in which hydrogen […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS As Seen By MAVEN
An ultraviolet image composite of the hydrogen atoms surrounding comet 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object ever detected by astronomers, as it passes through our solar system.