January 2025 – Page 21 – My WordPress Site

Graphical Abstract

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life

Protocell Effects on RNA Folding, Function, and Evolution

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2025January 7, 2025

Visualization of wavefront aberration evolution with real JWST data. We show consecutive optical path difference measurements (taken around three days apart) and their resulting star PSFs, as well as the difference between both. The figure displays consecutive optical path difference (OPD) measurements taken approximately three days apart (a)-(b), their resulting star point spread functions (PSFs) (d)-(e), and the differences between both measurements (c),(f). The OPD color scale is limited to (−200, 200) nm to highlight the overall structure, although a significant meteoroid impact on the lower right mirror segment caused local OPD values to reach 800 nm. This visualization demonstrates the temporal evolution of wavefront aberrations and their impact on the star PSF. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy

Exoplanet Detection Via Differentiable Rendering

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2025January 7, 2025

Molecular structures of the CH2C3N and HC3HCN radicals. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar

Identification of the Interstellar 1-cyano propargyl Radical (HCCCHCN) in TMC-1

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2025January 7, 2025

Time averages of the surface temperature for the 1st quintile of the training and test models in rotation period, ordered fastest to slowest. While the rotation periods are organized in increasing order from top left to bottom right, the remaining spin and orbital parameters (obliquity, eccentricity, and longitude of periapse) vary according to the configuration from the Latin Hypercube Sampling algorithm, and are themselves not in any particular order. -- astro-ph.EP

Analog Studies, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Habitability in 4-D: Predicting the Climates of Earth Analogs across Rotation and Orbital Configurations

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2025January 7, 2025

Snapshot of Pluto and Charon during kiss-and-capture. Credit Robert Melikyan and Adeene Denton.

Astrogeology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Pluto

An Origin For Pluto’s Subsurface Ocean?

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2025January 7, 2025

Pan-phylum syntenic plot including Anthoceros angustus (not chromosomal scale assembly). Ribbons colored in reference to Leiosporoceros dussii. The chromosomes were drawn in proportion to physical lengths, not by syntenic block size as shown in Fig. 1. -- Nature Plants

Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology

Hornwort Genomes Provide Clues On How Plants Moved From Water To Land On Earth

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2025January 7, 2025

Constraint on the lifetime 𝐿 = 10𝑛 of intelligent technological civilizations derived from the Fermi paradox. The expected number of coexisting civilizations 𝑁 is shown as a function of the civilization lifetime for different assumptions about the probability 𝑓 that a habitable planet produces a technological civilization. The shaded region corresponds to values for which 𝑁 ≫ 1, which are observationally excluded by the absence of detected extraterrestrial civilizations. The dashed line indicates the boundary 𝑁 = 1 and is shown for reference. -- astro-ph.GA

Mars, Missions & Hardware, Sample Return, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts

NASA Media Update On Mars Sample Return Status

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2025January 7, 2025

A Tetracorder map of the Moon showing water absorption areas (with an Earth-based image of the Moon in the center right to establish the boundaries of this map).

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Missions & Hardware, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Planetary Orbital Surveys Using A Tetracorder

by Keith CowingJanuary 6, 2025January 6, 2025

An alien ocean -- Grok via Astrobiology.com

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains & Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

A Comprehensive Framework For Assessing Terrestrial Analogue Field Sites For Ocean Worlds

by Keith CowingJanuary 6, 2025January 5, 2025

The sensor, a glass tube that is melted at the tip to form a sharp needle-like structure, is dipped into a fluid containing molecules. (Kevin Freedman/ImageFX/UCR)

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Tricorders & Sensors

Tricorder Tech: A Nanopore Diagnostic Tool Breakthrough Had Multiple Applications

by Keith CowingJanuary 6, 2025January 5, 2025