Tag

Astrochemistry

All articles tagged with #astrochemistry

science3 days ago•6 min saved

JWST Finds Shared, Unknown Chemical Fingerprint on Titan and Pluto

NASA's JWST detected the same unidentified absorption feature in Titan and Pluto spectra, suggesting a surface- or near-surface compound common to both nitrogen- and methane-rich worlds. The signal, stronger on Pluto and not explained by known absorbers, appears to originate from the surfaces rather than the atmosphere and was observed by two different JWST instruments, making an instrumental glitch unlikely. Researchers consider possibilities from an unknown compound to a known molecule in an unusual form, with future observations and Dragonfly mission data hoped to help identify it; findings are published in Astronomy & Astrophysics and archived on arXiv.

via ScienceAlert|

#astrochemistry #jwst #pluto

science4 days ago•5 min saved

JWST Finds Mysterious Absorption Signature on Pluto and Titan

The James Webb Space Telescope detected a 5.113‑micrometer absorption feature on both Pluto and Titan that cannot be matched to any known compound in spectral databases, suggesting a mysterious mixture or a chemistry not yet characterized. Researchers confirm it isn’t an instrument error and are pursuing laboratory replication and further JWST observations, with the Dragonfly mission potentially helping identify candidate compounds to solve this outer-solar-system puzzle.

via WIRED|

#astrochemistry #jwst #pluto

space9 days ago•118 min saved

JWST hints at a mysterious molecule on Pluto and Titan, unseen elsewhere

A James Webb Space Telescope analysis of Pluto and Saturn’s moon Titan reveals a shared absorption feature near 5.11 micrometers, suggesting an unknown molecule may exist on both worlds. The suspected candidates include benzene or other hydrocarbons, but the exact identifications are unconfirmed and the study has not yet been peer‑reviewed. Researchers say this puzzling signal could be clarified by future observations, including NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Titan, which could help determine whether the molecule is viable on Pluto as well.

via Live Science|

#astrochemistry #james-webb-space-telescope #pluto

science1 month ago•17 min saved

One Molecule, One Myth: Debunking Space’s Raspberry Flavor Narrative

A 2009 detection of ethyl formate in Sagittarius B2 helped fuel the popular claim that space tastes like raspberries; however, ethyl formate is only one of many molecules in a vast, tenuous cloud, and the larger, more significant finding was the identification of n-propyl cyanide, showing complex organics can form in interstellar space. The raspberry framing is an oversimplification: the cloud’s chemistry does not equate to a space flavor, and space does not smell like raspberries—astronauts describe spaceflight smells as metallic. The broader takeaway is that complex organic chemistry, potentially related to prebiotic processes, can begin in interstellar environments long before planets form, though unambiguous amino acids have yet to be detected in space.

via Space Daily|

#astrochemistry #ethyl-formate #interstellar-medium

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Webb spots methane fingerprint in ancient interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (MIRI) detected methane gas and an unusually high CO2-to-water ratio in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during December 2025 observations, marking the first direct methane detection in an interstellar object. The data imply formation in conditions distinct from the Solar System and suggest the comet, possibly up to 10 billion years old, formed far from our Sun; as it warmed near the Sun, buried methane thawed and CO2 was released, with gas production fading as it receded into interstellar space. These findings help illuminate chemical environments in distant planetary systems.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#3iatlas #astrochemistry #interstellar

space2 months ago•6 min saved

Dragonfly aims to map Titan’s chemistry from the skies

NASA’s Dragonfly is an eight-rotor rotorcraft mission planned to launch by 2028 to Titan. It will fly across Titan’s thick atmosphere and dunes, powered by its helicopters and carrying a DraMS mass spectrometer, a sample carousel, ovens, and a laser to study organic material and prebiotic chemistry. The mission, about a seven-year journey to reach Titan, emphasizes mobility over wheels (unlike planetary rovers) and will not sample Titan’s liquid lakes, instead targeting land-based organics to understand how complex molecules could form.

via Mashable|

#astrochemistry #dragonfly #nasa

science-tech2 months ago•13 min saved

Space biosignatures demand patience: confirmations of life clues take years

Astronomers detect molecules in space by matching spectral fingerprints from radio and infrared telescopes; while hundreds of astrochemical detections exist, claims of life-related molecules (like glycine in space or phosphine on Venus) have often been revised upon further scrutiny, illustrating that confirming potential biosignatures on distant worlds requires multiple signals, replication by independent teams, and time—so excitement about life’s clues tends to fade into cautious verification.

via The Conversation|

#astrochemistry #biosignatures #exoplanets

space2 months ago•7 min saved

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Carries Frozen Clues From Ultra-Cold Star-Forming Realms

Astronomers using ALMA detected an exceptionally high abundance of deuterated water (HDO) in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS—more than 30 times what’s typical in solar-system comets and over 40 times Earth's ocean water—indicating the comet formed in environments colder than about 30 Kelvin, far colder than the region that formed our solar system. The finding suggests interstellar comets carry preserved birth-region chemistry and underscores that planetary formation varies with local temperature and radiation across the galaxy.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#3iatlas #alma #astrochemistry

space2 months ago•78 min saved

JWST uncovers buckyball chemistry around a dying star Tc 1

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope images the Tc 1 planetary nebula around a dying sun‑like star, revealing abundant buckyballs (carbon spheres) and prompting questions about how these PAHs form and emit infrared light; the finding suggests buckyballs are widespread in space but not frequent, guiding future studies of photochemistry and nebular environments.

via Space|

#astrochemistry #buckyballs #dying-star

space2 months ago•72 min saved

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Unveils Hidden Chemistry Near the Sun

New measurements of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS show its coma chemistry changing after a close pass to the Sun, with the CO2-to-water ratio shifting between observations in late 2025 and early 2026 (including Subaru data from Jan 7, 2026 and JUICE observations in Nov 2025). The results imply the comet’s internal chemistry differs from its external makeup, offering insights into planetesimal and planet formation in other star systems; the work by Yoshiharu Shinnaka and collaborators will be published in the Astronomical Journal on April 22, 2026.

via Space|

#3iatlas #astrochemistry #comet

space3 months ago•36 min saved

Ryugu Samples Show All Five Canonical Nucleobases, Pointing to Common Prebiotic Chemistry in the Solar System

Two Ryugu aggregates contain all five canonical nucleobases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, uracil) plus related N-heterocycles, supporting extraterrestrial delivery of basic life-building blocks. The study finds purine/pyrimidine ratios that correlate with ammonia levels and differ from Bennu, Orgueil, and Murchison, suggesting different parent-body chemistries but a shared formation pathway for nucleobases on primitive Solar System bodies and implications for Earth's prebiotic inventory.

via Nature|

#astrochemistry #meteorites #nucleobases

space4 months ago•5 min saved

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Shows Methanol-Rich Chemistry

ALMA observations reveal the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is unusually methanol-rich, with methanol originating from both the nucleus and coma. This chemical fingerprint suggests formation under conditions different from those of Solar System comets and provides a glimpse into the chemistry of distant star systems, with more interstellar visitors anticipated as powerful observatories come online.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#3iatlas #alma #astrochemistry

space4 months ago•4 min saved

3I/Atlas Reveals Methanol-Rich Signature as It Leaves the Solar System

Observations of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas show its coma is unusually rich in methanol—up to four times typical levels—along with carbon dioxide and other organics, suggesting formation in a colder or chemically distinct environment. The study, based on ALMA data, indicates methanol (and other gases) may be released from both the nucleus and sublimating icy grains in a hyperactive comet, supporting a natural origin. As it travels away from the Sun at about 60 km/s, 3I/Atlas reinforces that more interstellar visitors are likely to be found with advancing detection capability.

via WIRED|

#alma #astrochemistry #comets

astronomy4 months ago•7 min saved

JWST Discovers Hidden Galactic Cores as Cosmic Organic Molecule Factories

JWST spectroscopic data of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy IRAS 07251-0248 reveal a rich mix of small organic molecules (benzene, methane, acetylene, diacetylene, triacetylene) and solid carbon-rich grains in its buried nucleus, along with the first outside-the Milky Way detection of the methyl radical CH3. The chemistry appears driven by cosmic rays fragmenting carbonaceous materials and PAHs, producing a diverse organic inventory far exceeding models’ predictions. This implies deeply obscured galactic nuclei can act as factories of organic molecules, with potential implications for prebiotic chemistry and galactic chemical evolution. Findings published in Nature Astronomy showcase JWST’s power to probe extreme, dust-shrouded environments.

via SciTechDaily|

#astrochemistry #astronomy #cosmic-rays

space4 months ago•4 min saved

Molecule Found in Star-Birth Cloud Could Seed Life on New Worlds

Astronomers detected methanimine, a simple organic molecule, in the L1544 pre-stellar core about 554 light-years away, suggesting that the chemistry needed for life begins before star formation and could seed planets forming from the cloud with life's building blocks.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#astrochemistry #l1544 #methanimine