![Continuum-subtracted spectra of comet 3I obtained on August 28 and September 3+4. Three narrow FeI lines are detected on August 28 in this spectral range, FeI λ3719.93Å being the brightest iron line detected in our spectra. On the average spectrum obtained in September 3+4 (shifted vertically for clarity), the FeI lines are brighter, and four of them are detected. Broad emission features due to background [OII] emission at 3727Å and 3729Å are also observed. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Extreme-NiIFeI.png?resize=1200%2C742&ssl=1)
Emission lines of FeI and NiI are commonly found in the coma of solar system comets, even at large heliocentric distances.
VLT
Posted inAlpha Centauri, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Seeking The Worlds Of Avatar: Prospects for Detecting Moons Orbiting a Giant Planet in Alpha Centauri A’s Habitable Zone
Nearby giant exoplanets offer an opportunity to search for moons (exomoons) orbiting them. Here, we present a simulation framework for investigating the possibilities of detecting exomoons via their astrometric signal […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Moon, Press Release
Planet Earth In Reflected And Polarized light – III. Modeling And Analysis Of A Decade-long Catalog Of Earthshine Observations
Earthshine observations offer a unique opportunity to study Earth as an exoplanet seen from the Moon. As the Sun-Earth-Moon geometry changes, Earth can be observed as a spatially unresolved exoplanet […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
TSD: An Inverse Problem Approach For Recovering The Exoplanetary Atmosphere Transmission Spectrum From High-resolution Spectroscopy
Our ability to observe, detect, and characterize exoplanetary atmospheres has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 20 years, aided largely by developments in astronomical instrumentation; improvements in data […]
![(A to C) Continuum-subtracted maps. (A) Integrated cube (6908-9158 Å). (B) [C i] λ8272 integrated map. (C) Sum of the integrated maps of the [O ii] doublet at 7320 and 7330 Å. White dashed contours indicate intensity levels. Their spacing are indicated with the whites lines on the colorbars. (D) MUSE spectrum (blue) and HST photometry (orange dots) of V2376 Ori b. HST filter widths are indicated by orange bars. Green lines mark recombination features, other lines are labeled in black. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Observation-Of-An-Accreting.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
Observation Of An Accreting Planetary-Mass Companion With Signs Of Disk-Disk Interaction in Orion
Young (≲10 Myr) planetary-mass companions (PMCs) provide valuable insights into the formation and early evolution of planetary systems.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Unexpected Discovery Of A Planet Forming Around A Young Star
An international team of astronomers, co-led by researchers at University of Galway, has made the unexpected discovery of a new planet.
![The ≈1000 au environment of RW Aur at different wavelengths, as observed by ALMA and JWST. Panel (a): compact dust continuum emission at 1.3 mm wavelength (see Kurtovic et al. 2024, for a detailed study). Panel (b): continuum emission from MIRI-MRS subband 1A. Panel (c): Peak emission map of H2S(3). Panel (d): Peak emission map of [Fe II]. Panel (e): Moment 0 map of the 12CO emission at 230.538 GHz, as observed with ALMA. Panel (f): Peak emission map of H2S(3). -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MINDS.-Young-binary-systems-with-JWSTMIRI.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
MINDS. Young Binary Systems With JWST/MIRI: Variable Water-rich Primaries And Extended Emission
As part of the JWST GTO program MINDS, we analyze the mid-infrared emission of three Class II binary systems: VW Cha, WX Cha, and RW Aur, to investigate the impact […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
A Newborn Planet Observed Sculpting The Dust Around It
Astronomers may have caught a still-forming planet in action, carving out an intricate pattern in the gas and dust that surrounds its young host star.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
X-SHOOTER Spectrum Of Comet C/2025 N1 (3I/ATLAS): Insights Into A Distant Interstellar Visitor
Comets are primitive remnants of the early Solar System whose composition offers fundamental clues to their formation and evolution. High-resolution, broad-wavelength spectroscopy is crucial for identifying volatile species and constraining […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
VLT Timelapse Of 3I/ATLAS, A New Interstellar Object
ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) has obtained new images of 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object discovered last week. Identified as a comet, 3I/ATLAS is only the third visitor from outside the […]