Uncategorized Archives - Astrobiology

Simultaneously collected raw spectral images in array coordinates from band 2 (left) and band 5 (right) collected during the first practice survey and the first crossing of the Galactic plane. Bands 2 and 5 view the same sky across the DBS. Each image spans the full 3.5◦ FOV of the array with wavelength increasing from bottom to top. The horizontal banding structure observed observed in band 5 corresponds to diffuse Bracket Alpha emission in the Galaxy at 4.05 µm. -- astro-ph.IM

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, News Summary Archives

The SPHEREx Instrument: Calibration, Testing And Performance Measurements Of The NIR 2 Spectroscopic Surveyor From The Laboratory To In-orbit Commissioning

by Keith CowingApril 2, 2026April 3, 2026

The SPHEREx near-infrared space telescope is an all-sky spectroscopic survey mission launched on March 12th, 2025 UTC.

Synthetic exoplanet population, colour coded by number of planets per bin in logarithmic semi-major axis and planet mass space, using the nominal model for a sample of Nstar=5000 different mass stars

News Summary Archives

A Break In Planet Occurrence Near The Pebble Isolation Mass Should Be Observable By The Roman Microlensing Survey

by Keith CowingApril 1, 2026April 1, 2026

Photograph of the model hot spring pools system showing the assembled pools with temperature probes placed in the cups and heating pads inserted underneath for controlling temperature. Power supply provides electricity for heating pads, and an Arduino Uno is connected via USB-type-C cable to a laptop for PID (Proportional-IntegralDerivative) control. Blue-colored LEDs in the Arduino Uno turn off when the setpoint is reached and back on to maintain the temperature in the rehydration phase of the WD cycles. Water flow control is managed by the mini-peristaltic pumps connected to the water control unit. -- Astrobiology

News Summary Archives

A Modular 3D-Printed Design To Investigate Prebiotic Chemical Systems In Hot Spring Pools

by Keith CowingMarch 30, 2026March 30, 2026

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Gravitational Biology, Life Support Systems, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, News Summary Archives

ExocubeBio: An In-situ Fluidic Platform For Microbial Exposure On The International Space Station

by Keith CowingMarch 26, 2026March 26, 2026

The volume mixing ratios of key gases in the Hycean and sub-Neptune atmospheres, averaged across 0.1 – 10−5 bar to represent the expected abundances of photochemical products probed by transmission spectroscopy. CH4 and CO2 are prescribed manually at the lower boundary in the Hycean model, and the DMS distribution is also imposed for our consistency tests, as described in Sections 3.2.1 and 3.2.2. -- astro-ph.EP

News Summary Archives

Three Outstanding Physical Questions For K2-18 b And Other Temperate sub-Neptunes

by Keith CowingMarch 24, 2026March 24, 2026

Averaged 18 cm OH lines (scaled to 1667 MHz) of 3I obtained in four observations with both a Gaussian and a trapezoid fit: September 8 and 9 (top), September 18 and 23 (bottom). The Astrophysical Journal

News Summary Archives

Unique Water Release Mechanism Uncovered In Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

by Keith CowingMarch 23, 2026March 23, 2026

NIRPS RV timeseries of TOI-4552 (top) along with the corresponding periodograms (bottom).

News Summary Archives

TOI-4552 b: A New Ultra-short Period Rocky World Revealed By NIRPS And TESS

by Keith CowingMarch 20, 2026March 20, 2026

A Representation of two possible evolution models of the RNA replication system containing two replicases and two parasites. B Illustration of the deterministic assumptions. C Transient compartmentalization with pooling (homogeneous case). D Illustration of the typical oscillatory dynamics obtained with the deterministic approach with second order replication rates and mutations. -- biorxiv.org

News Summary Archives

Compositional Memory Matters For Early Molecular Systems

by Keith CowingMarch 16, 2026March 16, 2026

Microscope images of Ryugu samples collected from the first and second landing sites of the Hayabusa2 mission, respectively. Credit: Jaxa/Jamstec

News Summary Archives

All DNA/RNA Nucleobases Are Found On Asteroid Ryugu

by Keith CowingMarch 16, 2026March 16, 2026

The Bahamas as seen from STS-52 in November 1992. -- NASA

News Summary Archives

Ocean Worlds Working Group (OWWG) Draft Traceability Available For Community Comment

by Keith CowingMarch 9, 2026March 9, 2026

Extreme Arabian Environments And Their Microbiomes: New Frontiers For Astrobiology And Biosignature Discovery

Astrobiology assesses the habitability of planetary bodies and the potential for extraterrestrial life. Analog environments on Earth serve as sites for studying extreme environments that resemble extraterrestrial conditions, aiding in validating life-detection methods, mission instrumentation, and biosignature preservation. These environments function as a source of model microorganisms and communities that define the habitability and biochemistry…

by Keith Cowing April 13, 2026April 13, 2026

From Early Earth to Enceladus – Mineral Electrochemistry Could Drive Organic Synthesis

At some point in Earth’s history, chemistry transitioned from abiotic organic synthesis—the building of more complicated organic molecules from smaller ones by nonbiological means—to biochemistry. Hydrothermal settings are compelling sites for the origins of this transition because they are natural chemical reactors. In this non-equilibrium setting; hot, reduced fluids continuously mix with cold, oxidized seawater…

by Keith Cowing April 13, 2026April 13, 2026

Chang’e Mission Samples Reveal How Exogenous Organic Matter Evolves On The Moon

Elements essential to life, such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur, were “delivered” to the Earth and Moon during the early stages of the Solar System via asteroids and comets impacting their surfaces. These exogenous materials may have provided the chemical building blocks necessary for the origin and early evolution of life on Earth.…

by Keith Cowing April 13, 2026April 13, 2026