Interstellar Archives

Continuum emission image of G31.41+0.31 at a frequency 99.915 GHz (3.02 mm). The blue circle represents the synthesized beam size of 1.30′′× 1.02′′. The contour levels begin at 3σ (σ = 3.36 mJy, the root mean square of the background of the continuum emission image) and increase by the factor of √ 2. -- astro-ph.GA

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

Detection And Chemical Modelling Of Complex Prebiotic Molecule Cyanamide In The Hot Molecular Core G31.41+0.31

by Keith CowingJanuary 25, 2024January 24, 2024

In the interstellar medium (ISM), the complex prebiotic molecule cyanamide (NH2CN) plays a key role in producing adenine (C5H5N5), purines (C5H4N4), pyrimidines (C4H4N2), and other biomolecules via a series of […]

The IUE spectra (black line) of IC 418, Hen 2-5, IC 2501 and Tc 1 (upper-left, upper-right, bottom-left and bottom-right panel, respectively) are shown along with the nebular continuum (purple dashed-line) and stellar atmosphere (blue dash-dotted) models as well as the composite model (red line). The IUE sigma are marked as a filled grey area. -- astro-ph.SR

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

An Ultraviolet Spectral Study Of Fullerene-rich Planetary Nebulae

by Keith CowingJanuary 19, 2024January 19, 2024

Several planetary nebulae (PNe) have been found to contain both polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH-like) species and fullerenes (C60) distinguished by their mid-infrared emission.

Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe -- NASA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Intelligence & Language, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe Will Capture Interstellar Stardust

by Keith CowingJanuary 13, 2024January 13, 2024

Scientists and engineers at the CU Boulder will soon take part in an effort to collect a bit of stardust—the tiny bits of matter that flow through the Milky Way […]

These towering tendrils of cosmic dust and gas sit at the heart of M16, or the Eagle Nebula. The aptly named Pillars of Creation featured in this stunning image are part of an active star-forming region in the nebula and hide newborn stars in their wispy columns. The chemical building blocks of life may have come from regions like this one and then were further processed inside asteroids formed in our, and possibly other, solar systems. This image was made by combining images from two cameras aboard NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Webb’s near-infrared image was fused with its mid-infrared image, setting this star-forming region ablaze with new details. -- Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI).

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Interstellar, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Press Release

Studying Life’s Origins By Simulating a Cosmic Evolution

by Keith CowingJanuary 12, 2024January 12, 2024

Amino acids make up millions of proteins that drive the chemical gears of life, including essential bodily functions in animals. Because of amino acids’ relationship to living things scientists are […]

IR difference spectra obtained upon irradiation of a similar incident energy with 2 keV electrons of CO:15N2:H2 ice samples in Experiments 4−6. The IR difference spectra were baseline-corrected using a spline function with the IDL software. IR band assignments are indicated in the panels. Tentative assignments are indicated in grey. Grey asterisks indicate possible baseline artifacts that were not subtracted. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Interstellar, Status Report

Organic Chemistry In The H2-bearing, CO-rich Interstellar Ice Layer At Temperatures Relevant To Dense Cloud Interiors

by Keith CowingJanuary 11, 2024January 10, 2024

Ice chemistry in the dense, cold interstellar medium (ISM) is probably responsible for the formation of interstellar complex organic molecules (COMs).

Overview of the d203-506 externally irradiated protoplanetary disk. Integrated intensity images from NIRCam F212N filter (a), Hubble Space Telescope [OI] (b), NIRSpec [FeII] (c), NIRSpec CH+ 1-0 P(7) at 3.95 µm (d), and MIRI MRS integrated from 7.16 to 7.20 µm assigned to CH+ 3 (e). Each panel is centered at α=5:35:20.318 and δ=-5:25:05.662 and are 2" × 2" wide. Contours of NIRCam vibrationally excited H2 (2.12 µm band) are represented in orange, and ALMA dust continuum emission at 344 GHz from the disk in white contours. (f,) Sketch of the d203-506 disk, jet, and wind. We note that the low mass star is not seen in the images because of the disk flaring. All JWST images are from the PDRs4All program, while the Hubble image is from (9). -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Interstellar, Status Report

Formation Of The Methyl Cation By Photochemistry In A Protoplanetary Disk

by Keith CowingJanuary 10, 2024January 10, 2024

Forty years ago it was proposed that gas phase organic chemistry in the interstellar medium was initiated by the methyl cation CH3+, but hitherto it has not been observed outside […]

FESEM image of a porous layer of aggregated a-C grains produced for this study. -- astro-ph.IM

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Interstellar, Status Report

Water Transport Through Mesoporous Amorphous-carbon Dust

by Keith CowingJanuary 9, 2024January 9, 2024

The diffusion of water molecules through mesoporous dust of amorphous carbon (a-C) is a key process in the evolution of prestellar, protostellar, and protoplanetary dust, as well as in that […]

Best-fit model for the CO and H2O gas-phase rovibrational bands in II Zw 096-D1. The first panel shows the CO band, while the rest of the panels show the H2O one. The JWST/NIRSpec and MIRI-MRS rest-frame continuum-subtracted spectra and model fits correspond to the black histograms (filled in gray) and red lines, respectively. We show the model for the torus (brown dashed line), outflow (magenta dashed line), SF-extended (blue dashed line), and cold-extended (green dashed line) components. The vertical lines correspond to the main H recombination, H2, and fine structure lines. Black, red and orange ticks indicate the position of the 12CO ν=1-0, 13CO ν=1-0 and C18O ν=1-0 rovibrational lines. The blue ticks indicate the H2O ν2=1-0 rovibational lines that most contribute to the modelled spectrum. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Structures Of Dust and gAs (SODA): Constraining The Innermost Dust Properties of II Zw96 With JWST Observations Of H2O And CO

by Keith CowingJanuary 9, 2024January 9, 2024

We analyze JWST NIRSpec+MIRI/MRS observations of the infrared (IR) gas-phase molecular bands of the most enshrouded source (D1) within the interacting system and luminous IR galaxy II Zw 096.

Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report

The Implications Of ‘Oumuamua On Panspermia

by Keith CowingJanuary 5, 2024July 12, 2025

Panspermia is the hypothesis that life originated on Earth from the bombardment of foreign interstellar ejecta harboring polyextremophile microorganisms.

This image of R Leporis, a star in the final stages of its evolution, is the highest resolution image ever achieved with ALMA. It has an angular resolution of 5 milli-arcseconds, equivalent to seeing a 10-metre-long bus on the Moon. It was achieved using the ALMA Band 10 (high-frequency) receivers and an array configuration with a maximum baseline length of 16 km, as well as a novel calibration technique. Submillimeter-wave emission from the stellar surface is shown in orange and hydrogen cyanide maser emissions at 891 GHz are shown in blue. The observations show that the star is surrounded by a ring-like structure of gas and that gas from the star is escaping to the surrounding space. Mass loss from AGB stars builds up a circumstellar envelope (CSE) rich in molecules and dust. In using different molecular species we can probe the CSE, and therefore the mass-loss process, at different radii from the central stars. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is one of the most abundant molecules in carbon-rich CSEs and is known to exhibit maser action in many transitions in the (sub)millimeter domain. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/Y. Asaki et al. Larger imagery

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

R Leporis – Surrounded By A Cloud Of Carbon Compounds – As Imaged By ALMA

by Keith CowingDecember 29, 2023December 29, 2023

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner, has achieved the highest resolution observations since it began operations.

Interstellar

Detection And Chemical Modelling Of Complex Prebiotic Molecule Cyanamide In The Hot Molecular Core G31.41+0.31

An Ultraviolet Spectral Study Of Fullerene-rich Planetary Nebulae

Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe Will Capture Interstellar Stardust

Studying Life’s Origins By Simulating a Cosmic Evolution

Organic Chemistry In The H2-bearing, CO-rich Interstellar Ice Layer At Temperatures Relevant To Dense Cloud Interiors

Formation Of The Methyl Cation By Photochemistry In A Protoplanetary Disk

Water Transport Through Mesoporous Amorphous-carbon Dust

Structures Of Dust and gAs (SODA): Constraining The Innermost Dust Properties of II Zw96 With JWST Observations Of H2O And CO

The Implications Of ‘Oumuamua On Panspermia

R Leporis – Surrounded By A Cloud Of Carbon Compounds – As Imaged By ALMA

Astrobiologist Dale Andersen’s Antarctic Field Report: 11 November 2026: Weather Update And Forecast

Astrobiologist Dale Andersen’s Antarctic Field Report: 10 November 2026: Weather Update Forecast

Dispersal of Bacterial Spores Away From Spacecraft on the Martian Surface is Unlikely to Contaminate Subsequent Life-detection Samples

From Exo-Earth Detection to Atmospheric Characterization: Enabling Phase-Dependent Molecular Detection SNR in EXOSIMS

Ancient Rocks Reveal When Earth’s Tectonic Engine Switched On