SOFIA Archives - Astrobiology

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Titan

Using SOFIA’s EXES To Search For C6H2 And C4N2 in Titan’s Atmosphere

by Keith CowingSeptember 25, 2025

In Titan’s atmosphere, the chemistry of small hydrocarbons and nitriles represent an important link from molecular species to the ubiquitous organic haze that gives Titan its characteristic yellow color.

Modeled mixtures of magnesium rich pyroxenes and olivines plotted alongside the spectrum of 267 Tirza and 1268 Libya. The addition of pyroxene to the olivine mixtures changes the behavior of the spectrum at long wavelengths, broadening this emission feature from the distinct emission peak(s) seen in the spectra of olivine and pyroxene alone. Spectral features of olivine are marked in light green and of pyroxenes are marked in dark purple to highlight commonalities with the asteroid spectra. The feature at 19.5 µm is common to both olivine and pyroxene. The spectrum of 267 Tirza in particular shows evidence of both olivine and pyroxene. All mixtures shown here contain both amorphous and crystalline silicates mixed in a 3:1 ratio, while the proportion of olivine and pyroxene is varied. The shaded grey box highlights the location of a known artefact in the SL Spitzer data (the SL teardrop). Spectra of crystalline silicates are sourced from Koike et al. (2003) and Chihara et al. (2002), spectra of amorphous silicates are derived from optical constants from J¨ager et al. (1994); Dorschner et al. (1995) and J¨ager et al. (2003) (see text for modeling details and silicate compositions). -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report

Comparative Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Dark, Primitive Asteroids: Does Shared Taxonomic Class Indicate Shared Silicate Composition?

by Keith CowingMay 1, 2024May 1, 2024

Primitive asteroids with low albedos and red slopes in the visible and near infrared (VNIR) are found in both the Main Belt and the Jupiter Trojan clouds.

SwRI Scientists Identify Water Molecules On Asteroids - SwRI

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

SwRI Scientists Identify Water Molecules On Asteroids For The First Time

by Keith CowingFebruary 13, 2024September 18, 2025

Using data from the retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) — a joint project of NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR — Southwest Research Institute scientists have […]

The x and y axes are offsets in arcmin from the central map position; the z axis is velocity in km s−1. The emission starts at the 5σ level for both tracers. The bright star-forming cloud DR21 and other dense molecular clouds are embedded in a large-scale cloud structure only visible in [CII] (dark blue). An interactive version of these plots is found at https://astro.uni-koeln.de/stutzki/research/feedback/animations -- Nature Astronomy

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

SOFIA Helps Complete Picture on Molecular Cloud Formation

by Keith CowingMay 3, 2023May 3, 2023

Molecular clouds — clumps of gas and dust in space, where molecules form — make up the densest regions of the Milky Way, but how they assemble is largely unknown.

Tatooine sunset

Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, Science Fiction

How Tatooine Might Have Formed – Twisted Magnetic Fields

by Keith CowingFebruary 13, 2023February 13, 2023

Tatooine is real. Well, sort of.

Venus

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release, Venus

There Is No Phosphine On Venus According To SOFIA

by Keith CowingNovember 29, 2022November 29, 2022

Phosphine is a gas found in Earth’s atmosphere, but the announcement of phosphine discovered above Venus’s clouds made headlines in 2020.

phosphine

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Venus

Recovery of Phosphine In Venus’ Atmosphere From SOFIA Observations

by Keith CowingNovember 21, 2022November 21, 2022

Searches for phosphine in Venus’ atmosphere have sparked a debate. Cordiner et al. 2022 analyse spectra from the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and infer <0.8 ppb of PH3.