June 2025 – Page 23 – My WordPress Site

M-a distribution, updated from Figure from Kempton and Knutson (2024). The solid-colored points have atmospheric spectra as of April 28, 2025 and the transparent points do not. The additional data points come from TESS and DI surveys with JWST and other observatories. Reproduced with permission Mineralogical Society of America. -- astro-ph.EP

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

Connecting Planetary Composition With Formation: A New Paradigm Emerges

by Keith CowingJune 3, 2025June 3, 2025

The HOMO of the charged ASW cluster (a), only showing the closest interacting water molecules for clarity. (b) Shows the LUMO of a neutral water molecule. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Interstellar

Binding Energies Of Small Interstellar Molecules On Neutral And Charged Amorphous Solid Water Surfaces

by Keith CowingJune 3, 2025September 18, 2025

Recurring slope lineae on Mars’s surface. (a) RSL at a crater on the floor of Valles Marineris, near the Martian equator, captured by the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment). NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona. (b) Deliquescence process of perchlorates. On Mars, salts such as calcium perchlorate [Ca(ClO4)2] and magnesium perchlorate [Mg(ClO4)2] may be able to absorb water vapour from the atmosphere and dissolve into it to form aqueous brines. This process requires that relative humidity (RH) be higher than the deliquescence relative humidity of each salt (DRHs). -- Microorganisms via PubMed

Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Mars, Microbiology & Virology

Remarks On Life Feasibility On The Red Planet

by Keith CowingJune 3, 2025June 3, 2025

Summary plots for observations of TOI3124 (a) and TOI3163 (b). The TESS Sector 64 TPF, normalized light curves and periodogram plots are shown for each target. Cutouts of the stacked H50 images are also shown, matching the approximate orientation and scale of each TPF. In (a), the orange light curve shows the raw, normalized flux for the star. The blue light curve is the detrended light curve (offset by a constant). The periodogram refers to the planetary period, based upon the detrended data. -- astro-ph.EP

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

TASSIE: a TASmanian Search For Inclined Exoplanets

by Keith CowingJune 3, 2025June 3, 2025

Microgravity, Space Life Science, Space Stations, SPACELINE Current Awareness List

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,151 30 May 2025 (Space Life Science Research Results)

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2025June 2, 2025

"Strange New World" - Star Trek Enterprise episode 104 - Enterprise passes a previously unknown Minshara-class (M-class) planet with an Earth-like atmosphere and surface. - Paramount/CBS

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

A Terminology and Quantitative Framework for Assessing the Habitability of Solar System and Extraterrestrial Worlds

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2025June 2, 2025

This is the 'beauty shot version' of Perpetual Ocean 2: Western Boundary Currents. The visualization starts with a rotating globe showing ocean currents. The camera then zooms into the Kuroshio current, moves over the Indian Ocean to the Agulhas Current, then over to the Gulf Stream. -- NASA Source

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ocean Planet Research: Freshened Water Under Earth’s Ocean Floor

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2025June 2, 2025

Optical microscopy image of the clastic matrix region in LAR 12252 that was studied using S-XANES. Notable phases include enstatite (examples outlined in red), sulphides (example outlined in yellow), a small chondrule fragment (outlined in orange), and fine matrix (examples highlighted in pink). b Corresponding map calculated from the S-XANES spectra of the region shown in a, showing the amplitude of the H-S peak at each point normalised to the average amplitude of point spectra measured from chondrule mesostasis (Fig. S8). Black pixels correspond to points where the SXANES spectra that did not contain a resolvable H-S peak. White pixels correspond to points where the S-XANES spectra could not be fitted due to their quality or noise in the spectra. Some grain outlines have been transferred onto Fig 2b to allow for comparison of the two figures. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

The Source Of Hydrogen In Earth’s Building Blocks

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2025June 2, 2025

HWO Science Case Portal

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

Habitable Worlds Observatory Call for Endorsers And Feedback

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2025September 18, 2025

Venus -- NASA

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Venus

Perspective: Life On Venus?

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2025June 2, 2025