Tag

Astrochemistry

All articles tagged with #astrochemistry

space25 days 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

space29 days 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

space1 month 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

astronomy1 month 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

space1 month 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

space2 months ago•78 min saved

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Flare Reveals Molecules From Another Star

NASA’s SPHEREx infrared telescope observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS flare up as it was exiting the solar system in December 2025, revealing a coma rich in water vapor, carbon dioxide and complex organics (including methane, methanol and cyanide) and a pear-shaped dust tail. The observations suggest sunlight penetrated buried ices, triggering a delayed release of materials formed around another star. 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object, discovered in 2025, with the findings published in February 2026 in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society.

via Space|

#3iatlas #astrochemistry #infrared-astronomy

science2 months ago•326 min saved

Lab-made cosmic dust sheds light on life's beginnings

A University of Sydney doctoral student creates tiny cosmic-dust analogues in the lab by exciting a mix of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and acetylene with 10,000 volts of electricity, reproducing conditions around stars to study how dust catalyzes organic molecules and potentially seeded life; the team aims to build a database of dust types to compare with meteorites and astronomical observations.

via cnn.com|

#astrochemistry #cosmic-dust #linda-losurdo

space2 months ago•3 min saved

Ring-Shaped Sulfur Molecule Detected in Interstellar Space, Linking Space Chemistry to Life's Origins

Astronomers detected thiepine (C6H6S), the largest sulfur-bearing molecule observed in interstellar space, in the G+0.693–0.027 molecular cloud near the Galactic center. By lab-synthesizing the molecule and matching its spectral fingerprint with observations from the IRAM 30m and Yebes 40m telescopes, researchers confirmed its presence and reinforced the idea that complex sulfur chemistry in star-forming regions could lay the groundwork for prebiotic molecules, linking space chemistry to the origins of life. The finding, published in Nature Astronomy, expands known interstellar sulfur chemistry and suggests more complex molecules await discovery.

via ScienceAlert|

#astrochemistry #interstellar #molecular-cloud

science2 months ago•326 min saved

Large sulfur-bearing molecule found in space hints at cosmic roots of life

Astronomers have identified the largest sulfur-containing molecule ever seen in interstellar space—a 13-atom compound called 2,5-cyclohexadiene-1-thione—within a molecular cloud about 27,000 light-years from Earth. The discovery, made using radio telescopes IRAM-30m and Yebes and confirmed by a laboratory-synthesized radio fingerprint, fills a gap between simple space chemistry and the complex molecules tied to life. Researchers say sulfur-bearing molecules may be far more common in space than previously thought and could be delivered to early Earth via comets and meteorites, helping to bootstrap the chemistry that led to life. The finding suggests many more such sulfur-rich molecules could be detected in the future.

via CNN|

#astrochemistry #interstellar #origins-of-life

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Ice-Formed Hydrogen Cyanide Could Jump-Start Life Across the Solar System

Researchers modeling frozen hydrogen cyanide find it converts to hydrogen isocyanide, enabling two pathways to prebiotic molecules like amino acids and nucleobases, even in extreme cold. The work suggests cyanide-based chemistry could have seeded life on early Earth and may occur on icy worlds such as Titan or in other planetary atmospheres across the solar system.

via Indian Defence Review|

#astrochemistry #hydrogen-cyanide #icy-chemistry

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Frozen HCN Crystals Could Have Fueled Life’s Origins

A study in ACS Central Science shows that frozen hydrogen cyanide forms needle-like crystal surfaces that generate strong electric fields and catalyze reactions, including HCN→HNC isomerization, at cryogenic temperatures. This surface catalysis could drive early prebiotic chemistry and help explain HNC’s abundance in cold space environments like Titan and comets, suggesting solid HCN crystals may have acted as tiny reaction engines in the origins of life.

via Indian Defence Review|

#astrochemistry #crystal-surfaces #hydrogen-cyanide

science5 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Predict the Sun's Inevitable Demise

Astronomers observed a white dwarf star consuming the remains of a shattered planet, revealing insights into planetary system evolution and offering a glimpse of our own Solar System's distant future, with implications for understanding exoplanet composition and long-term planetary dynamics.

via ScienceAlert|

#astrochemistry #exoplanet #planetary-destruction

science5 months ago•8 min saved

James Webb Telescope Detects Complex Organic Molecules Beyond the Milky Way

The James Webb Space Telescope has made the first-ever detection of complex organic molecules in ice around a young protostar in the galaxy beyond the Milky Way, specifically in the Large Magellanic Cloud, providing new insights into the chemistry of star formation and the potential origins of life in different cosmic environments.

via Space|

#astrochemistry #complex-organic-molecules #galaxy

science5 months ago•3 min saved

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS's Solar Encounter Sparks Scientific Interest

Scientists are excited about the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which is only the third such object observed entering our solar system. Notably, nickel vapor was detected in its gas, suggesting it may be older than our solar system and providing valuable insights into distant planetary systems and their chemistry. Observations continue as the comet approaches the sun, offering a rare opportunity to study material from outside our solar system.

via NPR|

#3iatlas #astrochemistry #interstellar-comet

science5 months ago•2 min saved

Organic Molecules and Life's Building Blocks Detected Beyond the Milky Way

Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope detected complex carbon-based molecules in the ice around a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, marking the first such discovery outside the Milky Way and providing insights into the origins of life-related chemistry in primitive cosmic environments.

via Live Science|

#astrochemistry #complex-molecules #extraterrestrial-life