Saturn’s largest moon Titan is the only place other than Earth known to have an atmosphere and liquids in the form of rivers, lakes and seas on its surface. Because […]
Methane
 coincide. The faint white dots show the spatial distribution of pitted cones structures (modified from Mills et al., 2024). The black dots show the spatial distribution of candidate and confirmed SRLs according to Mcewen et al., (2021); Stilmann et al., (2016), and Oijha et al., (2014). The red dot shows the McLaughlin Crater with exposed carbonate rocks and signs of groundwater activity (Michalski et al., 2013). Gray in the background shows the Mars topography based on MOLA -- astro-ph.E](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Potential-habitability-of-present-day-Mars.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mercury, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Potential Habitability of Present-day Mars Subsurface for Terrestrial-like Methanogens
The intense debate about the presence of methane in the Martian atmosphere has stimulated the study of methanogens adapted to terrestrial habitats that mimic Martian environments.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Interstellar Methane As Progenitor Of Amino Acids?
Gamma radiation can convert methane into a wide variety of products at room temperature, including hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing molecules, and amino acids, reports a research team in the journal Angewandte Chemie.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Joint Genome Institute (JGI)-Enabled Research Demonstrates The Existence Of New Methane Makers
Atmospheric levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, regulate Earth’s climate. Most methane is produced in environments without oxygen through a process called methanogenesis. Methanogenic microorganisms therefore play a critical […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Brown Dwarfs, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Scorching Storms On Distant Worlds Revealed In New Detail By JWST
Astronomers have created the most detailed weather report so far for two distant worlds beyond our own solar system.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Analysis Of Cassini Data Yields Insights Into Titan’s Seas
A new study of radar experiment data from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn has yielded fresh insights related to the makeup and activity of the liquid hydrocarbon seas near the […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Interstellar, Status Report
Methane Formation Efficiency on Icy Gains: Role of Adsorption States
Methane (CH4) is one of the major components of the icy mantle of cosmic dust prevalent in cold, dense regions of interstellar media, playing an important role in the synthesis […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The JWST Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems II: A 1 to 20 Micron Spectrum of the Planetary-Mass Companion VHS 1256-1257 b
We present the highest fidelity spectrum to date of a planetary-mass object. VHS 1256 b is a <20 MJup widely separated (∼8 arcsec, a = 150 au), young, planetary-mass companion […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, SETI & Technosignatures, Terraforming & Geoengineering, TRAPPIST-1
Telltale Greenhouse Gases Could Signal Alien Terraforming Activity
If aliens modified a planet in their solar system to make it warmer, we’d be able to tell. A new UC Riverside study identifies the artificial greenhouse gases that would […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Small, Cool And Sulfurous Exoplanet May Help Write The Recipe For Planetary Formation
A surprising yellow haze of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of a gas “dwarf” exoplanet about 96 light years away from our own solar system makes the planet a prime […]