We present the a near complete spectral energy distribution (SED) for an extrasolar world: the T8 brown dwarf 2MASS~J04151954−0935066. Spanning from optical to mid-infrared (0.7–20.4 micron) wavelengths, the SED for […]
Spitzer
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Burned To Ashes: How the Thermal Decomposition of Refractory Organics in the Inner Protoplanetary Disc Impacts the Gas-phase C/O Ratio
The largest reservoir of carbon in protoplanetary discs is stored in refractory organics, which thermally decompose into the gas-phase at the organics line, well interior to the water iceline.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
JWST’s Sharper View Of EX Lup: Cold Water From Ice Sublimation During Accretion Outbursts
The unstable accretion phases during pre-main-sequence evolution of T Tauri stars produce variable irradiation and heating of planet-forming regions.
![Haze (tholin and soot) models from Jacobs et al. (2023) for two metallicities: [M/H] = 0 (solid) and [M/H] = 1 (dashed). The various formation rates are shown in cool colors for the tholins and in warm colors for the soots. The haze models are compared to the NIRISS/SOSS eclipse spectrum of WASP-80 b. If the aerosols are hazes, they could consist of soots or tholins, with formation rates for tholins most likely lower than 10−11.5g cm−2 s−1. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/A-Moderate-Albedo-From-Reflecting-Aerosols.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A Moderate Albedo From Reflecting Aerosols On The Dayside Of WASP-80 b Revealed By JWST/NIRISS Eclipse Spectroscopy
Secondary eclipse observations of exoplanets at near-infrared wavelengths enable the detection of thermal emission and reflected stellar light, providing insights into the thermal structure and aerosol composition of their atmospheres.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Evidence of the Amino Acids Tyrosine and Phenylalanine in the Interstellar Material of IC348 in Perseus
We employed data from the Spitzer Space Telescope to investigate the presence of the aromatic amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine in the interstellar gas of the young star cluster IC […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A Closer Look at LTT 9779b: The ESPRESSO Endeavour to Pierce the Atmospheric Veil
The proliferation of exoplanet discoveries in exotic environments like the Neptune desert challenges our understanding of planetary atmospheres under intense irradiation. The unexpected discovery of LTT9779 b, an ultra-hot Neptune […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
JWST-TST DREAMS: A Precise Water Abundance for Hot Jupiter WASP-17b from the NIRISS SOSS Transmission Spectrum
Water has proven to be ubiquitously detected in near-infrared (NIR) transmission spectroscopy observations of hot Jupiter atmospheres, including WASP-17b.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
A Sensitivity Analysis of the Modeling of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission in Galaxies
We have conducted a sensitivity analysis on the mid-infrared spectral decomposition of galaxies and the modeling of the PAH emission spectrum with the NASA Ames PAH Infrared Spectroscopic Database (PAHdb) […]
![[left] A Hubble Space Telescope false-color view of a 100-billion-mile-wide disk of dust around the summer star Vega. Hubble detects reflected light from dust that is the size of smoke particles largely in a halo on the periphery of the disk. The disk is very smooth, with no evidence of embedded large planets. The black spot at the center blocks out the bright glow of the hot young star. [right] The James Webb Space Telescope resolves the glow of warm dust in a disk halo, at 23 billion miles out. The outer disk (analogous to the solar system’s Kuiper Belt) extends from 7 billion miles to 15 billion miles. The inner disk extends from the inner edge of the outer disk down to close proximity to the star. There is a notable dip in surface brightness of the inner disk from approximately 3.7 to 7.2 billion miles. The black spot at the center is due to lack of data from saturation. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, S. Wolff (University of Arizona), K. Su (University of Arizona), A. Gáspár (University of Arizona) larger image](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Hubble-And-Webb-Study-The-Surprisingly.png?resize=1200%2C641&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Fomalhaut, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
Hubble And Webb Study The Surprisingly Smooth Disk Around Vega
In the 1997 movie “Contact,” adapted from Carl Sagan’s 1985 novel, the lead character scientist Ellie Arroway (played by actor Jodi Foster) takes a space-alien-built wormhole ride to the star […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1
Updated Forecast For TRAPPIST-1 Times Of Transit For All Seven Exoplanets Incorporating JWST Data
The TRAPPIST-1 system has been extensively observed with JWST in the near-infrared with the goal of measuring atmospheric transit transmission spectra of these temperate, Earth-sized exoplanets. A byproduct of these […]