![Visual abstract -- [Journal of the American Chemical Society]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Nonequilibrium.jpg?resize=1200%2C716&ssl=1)
[Journal of the American Chemical Society] Biorelevant nitrogen heterocycles, including the five canonical nucleobases found in RNA and DNA, have recently been identified in samples returned from the carbonaceous asteroids […]
Ryugu
![Observed lightcurve of Atira in 𝑉 and 𝑅𝐶 bands. A scaling of +0.43 mag is applied to all 𝑅𝐶 magnitudes. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Nordic-based.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Nordic-based Observations Of Binary Asteroid (163693) Atira Reveal A Hydrated CM Chondrite Composition
[astro-ph.EP] We present photometric, spectroscopic, and polarimetric observations of (163693) Atira collected on the night of 05 March 2024. A dual-band lightcurve acquired in the V and R_C filters using […]
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Mystery Surrounding The Formation Of Asteroid Bennu Solved
[ETH Zurich] The asteroid Bennu orbits the Sun once every 1.2 years and approaches Earth every six years, passing within around 300,000 kilometres. NASA took advantage of this to collect […]
![Map of the (top) phase ratio I(5◦ )/I(15◦ ) at 2.0 µm and (bottom) phase reddening (with spectral slope computed between 2.1 µm and 2.5 µm). The maps were computed using a 10◦ × 10◦ grid at the Ryugu surface. The particularly high phase ratio and low phase reddening values for some grid elements located at latitude above 10◦N are due to a narrower phase angle range (see Appendix F, Fig. 20). All grid elements above this latitude were discarded for the computation of the average east and west properties.-- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Updated.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inImaging & Spectroscopy
Updated in-flight Calibration Of The Hayabusa2/NIRS3 Spectrometer: New Global Near-infrared Photometric Properties Of Asteroid (162173) Ryugu
[astro-ph.EP] The Near InfraRed Spectrometer (NIRS3) onboard Hayabusa2 observed asteroid (162173) Ryugu, searching especially for signatures of water-bearing minerals.
![(A) C1 clast containing numerous magnetite (white), pyrrhotite (light gray), and dolomite grains (dark gray). (B) C1 clast with numerous dolomites marked “D,” indicating the dolomite crystal where the FIB was cut (bottom, arrowed, and outlined in yellow). (C) Bright-field TEM image of the FIBed dolomite crystal. Numerous cracks are arrowed. (D) Na x-ray map of the same area as in (C). -- [Science Advances]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Meteor-over-New-.png?resize=1200%2C715&ssl=1)
Posted inMeteorites & Asteroids
Brines Discovered In A Meteorite From A Primitive CM Asteroid
[Science Advances] The CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous material returned from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu contain mobilized sodium from the evaporation or freezing of liquid water into brines, shedding light on the […]
Posted inComets and Asteroids
The Polana-Eulalia Complex with JWST NIRSpec: Connections to Bennu, Ryugu, and Outer Solar System Bodies
[astro-ph.EP] Carbon rich [C complex] asteroids provide insight into the early Solar System, and families of C complex asteroids serve as robust samples for learning about the internal structure of […]
Posted inMeteorites & Asteroids
Pristine Meteorite Examination Adds To Our Knowledge Of Ancient Asteroids
[NASA] A meteorite recovered immediately upon its fall to Earth on July 16, 2024, is helping NASA scientists uncover new clues about ancient water, the chemical evolution of primitive asteroids, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Sample Return, Status Report
The Science From Asteroid Sample Return Missions
To date, three samples from near-Earth asteroids have been delivered to Earth by Japan’s Hayabusa (2010) and Hayabusa2 (2020) missions, and the United States OSIRIS-REx mission (2023).
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Discovery Of Unexpectedly Large Organic Molecules from Asteroid Ryugu
Overview Using a high-resolution atomic force microscope ( AFM ), we directly observed the skeletal structures of individual organic molecules extracted from the Ryugu sample. We discovered numerous gigantic organic […]
![[LEFT] Nano-FTIR measurement of Region 1 (belonging to the aliphatic-rich cluster). Color-coded nano-FTIR spectra (A) of spots shown in the SNOM topography (B), optical amplitude (C), and mechanical amplitude (D) images. [RIGHT] Region 2 (also belonging to the aliphatic-rich cluster). -- PNAS](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Nanoscale-infrared-spectroscopy.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Nanoscale Infrared Spectroscopy Reveals Complex Organic–mineral Assemblages In Asteroid Bennu
Asteroid Bennu preserves primitive material from the early solar system, and returned samples allow direct examination of how organics and minerals were assembled and altered. We applied nanoscale infrared spectroscopy […]