Impact-induced erosion of the Earth’s early crust during accretion of terrestrial bodies can significantly modify the primordial chemical composition of the Bulk Silicate Earth (BSE, that is, the composition of […]
planet
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
The Missing Carbon Monoxide In Planetary Nurseries Was Hiding In The Ice
Astronomers frequently observe carbon monoxide in planetary nurseries. The compound is ultra-bright and extremely common in protoplanetary disks — regions of dust and gas where planets form around young stars […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Stratified Distribution of Organic Molecules at the Planet-Formation Scale in the HH 212 Disk Atmosphere
Formamide (NH2CHO) is considered an important prebiotic molecule because of its potential to form peptide bonds. It was recently detected in the atmosphere of the HH 212 protostellar disk on […]
Posted inGravitational Biology, Plant Biology, Press Release
Using Microgravity To Understand Plant Growth
How do plants know which way is up? This might seem like an obvious question, but how exactly does a plant know which way to grow its roots and which […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
A Quantitative Criterion for Defining Planets
A simple metric can be used to determine whether a planet or exoplanet can clear its orbital zone during a characteristic time scale, such as the lifetime of the host […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Newly Spotted Frozen World Orbits in a Binary Star System
A newly discovered planet in a binary star system located 3,000 light-years from Earth is expanding astronomers’ notions of where Earth-like–and even potentially habitable–planets can form, and how to find […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
Star-planet magnetic interaction and evaporation of planetary atmospheres
Stars interact with their close-in planets through radiation, gravitation, and magnetic fields. We investigate the energy input to a planetary atmosphere by reconnection between stellar and planetary magnetic fields and […]