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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

Samples from the asteroid Ryugu collected and returned to Earth by the Japanese Hayabusa 2 mission contain all five nitrogenous bases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil—that make up nucleic acids, the biomolecules that make life possible on Earth. The study was published today in Nature Astronomy.

Examples of metabolic networks (gray nodes and edges) and seed sets (blue circles).

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia

Potential Metabolic Viability On Asteroid Chemistry

by Keith CowingJanuary 26, 2026January 26, 2026

This illustration depicts the interior of dwarf planet Ceres, including the transfer of water and gases from the rocky core to a reservoir of salty water as a consequence of internal heating. NASA ID: PIA26570 larger image

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Ceres, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Fluid Flow In Ceres Due To Core Heating

by Keith CowingOctober 10, 2025October 10, 2025

Ann Nguyen, co-lead author of a new paper that gives insights into the diverse origin of asteroid Bennu’s “parent” asteroid works alongside the NanoSIMS 50L (nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry) ion microprobe in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Credit: NASA/James Blair

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return

NASA’s Bennu Samples Reveal Complex Origins, Dramatic Transformation

by Keith CowingAugust 25, 2025August 25, 2025

This color view of Ryugu's surface at night was created from images captured by MASCOT using red, green, and blue LEDs for illumination. MASCOT/DLR/JAXA via Planetary Society

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Sample Return

Variations Of Organic Functional Chemistry In Carbonaceous Matter From The Asteroid 162173 Ryugu

by Keith CowingSeptember 22, 2024September 22, 2024

Earth ring system - Grok via Astrobiology.com

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains & Lava Tubes, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Earth May Have Had A Ring System 466 Million Years Ago

by Keith CowingSeptember 19, 2024September 19, 2024

Chondrules exhibiting complex structures with multiple zoning and rims, which is indicative of multiple melting events. A) Chondrule from the LAP 02342 CR2 chondrite with a primary and secondary shell and a surrounding igneous rim, all separated by metal rims (from Rubin, 2010). B) Complex chondrule from CR2 chondrite Acfer 139 with four shells (s) and metal (m) rims (from Hobbart et al., 2015), with Si = red, Ca = green, 12 Fe = blue. Olivine in pyroxene-bearing layer S2 grew epitaxialy on olivine in pyroxene-free layer S1, the two separated by a thin layer M1 of numerous metal grains. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids

Is There A Genetic Relationship Between Chondrules And Matrix?

by Keith CowingSeptember 16, 2024September 16, 2024

Multicolor simultaneous light curves in g-, r-, i-, and zs-bands, obtained by MuSCAT2 on 2021 March 19 (Top) and MuSCAT3 on 2021 January 28 (Bottom) (Section 2.2 and 2.3). The data are jointly fitted with the transit model (blue, green, orange, and red) and baseline model, and the data are subtracted with the baseline models (gray). Alt text: Time-series flux for the transits of the MuSCAT2 and MuSCAT3 data in g-, r-, i-, and zs-bands, and the optimum models for each. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Space Weather & Heliophysics

Probing The Effects Of Interplanetary Space On Asteroid Ryugu

by Keith CowingApril 29, 2024April 29, 2024

First Astrobiology Workshop

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware

OSIRIS-REx Samples Available for Request

by Keith CowingMarch 25, 2024March 25, 2024

Overview of the chemical elements detected in the transmission spectra of Ultra-Hot Jupiters (UHJ). Planets are ordered by decreasing equilibrium temperature. WASP-33 b is a more challenging target due to the presence of significant stellar pulsations. References: Borsa et al. (2021); Borsato et al. (2023); Hoeijmakers et al. (2018a, 2019, 2020, 2022); Yan & Henning (2018); Cauley et al. (2021); Yan et al. (2019); Prinoth et al. (2024); Prinoth et al. (2023); Stangret et al. (2020, 2022);Bello-Arufe et al. (2022, 2023); Azevedo Silva et al. (2022); Ben-Yami et al. (2020); Merritt et al. (2021); Maguire et al. (2023); Gandhi et al. (2023b); Jiang et al. (2023); Zhang et al. (2022); Casasayas-Barris et al. (2019); Fossati et al. (2023); Nugroho et al. (2020b); Ehrenreich et al. (2020); Tabernero et al. (2021); Deibert et al. (2021); Pelletier et al. (2023). -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids

Young Asteroid Families As The Primary Source Of Meteorites

by Keith CowingMarch 20, 2024March 20, 2024