Panspermia is the hypothesis that life originated on Earth from the bombardment of foreign interstellar ejecta harboring polyextremophile microorganisms.
Interstellar
Posted inAstrochemistry, 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
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner, has achieved the highest resolution observations since it began operations.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Budgets and Policy, Conferences and Meetings, Intelligence & Language, Interstellar, SETI & Technosignatures, Societal Issues, Status Report
Bio-techno-signature Monitoring and Communication Guideposts for Extraterrestrial Life
Abstract — Attendees at the First Penn State SETI Symposium collaborated to develop guideposts for monitoring for and communicating with extraterrestrial life.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Cubesats and smallsats, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Proxima Centauri, Status Report
Swarming Proxima Centauri: Optical Communication Over Interstellar Distances
Interstellar communications are achievable with gram-scale spacecraft using swarm techniques introduced herein if an adequate energy source, clocks and a suitable communications protocol exist.
![JWST NIRCam composite image of the Orion Bar, located in the Orion molecular cloud. Red is the 3.35µm emission (F335M NIRCam filter), blue is the emission of Paα (F187N filter subtracted by F182M filter) and green is the emission of the H2 0-0 S(9) line at 4.70 µm (F470N filter subtracted by F480M filter). The inset shows a zoom-in of the d203-506 planet-forming disk where OH lines are detected. Red is the emission of the H2 1-0 S(1) line at 2.12 µm (F212N filter), blue is the [FeII] line emission at 1.64 µm (F164N filter), and green is the emission in the F140M broad-band near-IR filter that traces scattered light around 1.4 µm (F140M broad band filter). The white contours represent the emission of the OH rotational line at 9.79 µm detected with MIRI-MRS (levels are 1.1, 2.5 ×10−5 erg cm−2 s −1 sr−1 ). The bright spot in the northwestern part of the envelope coincides with the region of interaction between a jet and the photoevaporative wind. The brightest OH emission originates from here. The spectra shown in Fig. 2 and 3 are an average over the region delineated by the green circle in order to have the best S/N. Image credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, PDRs4All ERS Team, pdrs4all.org. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/OHAsAProbe.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Interstellar, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
OH As A Probe Of The Warm Water Cycle In Planet-forming Disks
Water is a key ingredient for the emergence of life as we know it. Yet, its destruction and reformation in space remains unprobed in warm gas.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Synthesis Of Urea On The Surface Of Interstellar Water Ice Clusters. A Quantum Chemical Study
Urea is a prebiotic molecule that has been detected in few sources of the interstellar medium (ISM) and in Murchison meteorite. Being stable against ultraviolet radiation and high-energy electron bombardment, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Charting Circumstellar Chemistry Of Carbon-rich AGB Stars: I. ALMA 3 mm Spectral Surveys
AGB stars are major contributors to the chemical enrichment of the ISM through nucleosynthesis and extensive mass loss.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Interstellar, Status Report
JWST Observations of Young protoStars (JOYS+): Detection Of Icy Complex Organic Molecules And Ions. I. CH4, SO2, HCOO−, OCN−, H2CO, HCOOH, CH3CH2OH, CH3CHO, CH3OCHO, CH3COOH
Complex organic molecules (COMs) detected in the gas phase are thought to be mostly formed on icy grains, but no unambiguous detection of icy COMs larger than CH3OH has been […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Interstellar, Press Release
Astrochemistry: Dark Galactic Region “The Brick” Explained With Webb Telescope Findings
In a recent study led by University of Florida astronomer Adam Ginsburg, groundbreaking findings shed light on a mysterious dark region at the center of the Milky Way. The turbulent […]
Posted inEducation and Outreach, Intelligence & Language, Interstellar, SETI & Technosignatures, Societal Issues, Status Report
Message In A Bottle – An Update To The Golden Record: 1. Objectives And Key Content Of The Message
In the first part of this series, we delve into the foundational aspects of “Message in a Bottle (MIAB)” (henceforth referred to as MIAB). This study builds upon the legacy […]