This website is currently being migrated. For the most up-to-date astrobiology news, resources, and community announcements, please visit our new home at science.nasa.gov/astrobiology

A volcanically active planet is shown in closeup at the left side of the image with glowing eruptions and lines of lava on the surface. To the right and in the distance is a faint blue glowing ball representing the more massive planet in the system.Sixteen frames from Voyager 1's flyby of Jupiter in 1979 were merged to create this image. Jupiter's Great Red Spot is visible in the center. Jupiter's moon Europa can be seen in the foreground at the bottom left of the image.The frame is a horizontal rainbow of color on a grid. Shadows of molecules can be seen through the light as well as the jagged peaks and troughs of spectral lines.
Fizzy Super Earths and Lava Worlds“Fizzy Super-Earths: Impacts of Magma Composition on the Bulk Density and Structure of Lava Worlds.” in The Astrophysical Journal.01/03
Identifying Hydrothermal Activity on Icy Ocean Worlds“Ethene-ethanol ratios as potential indicators of hydrothermal activity at Enceladus, Europa, and other icy ocean worlds.” In Icarus.02/03
NASA Raman Spectroscopic Database"The NASA Raman spectroscopic database: Ramdb version 1.00.” In Icarus.03/03
NextPrevious
Go Explore
October 2021Complete genome of the thermophilic purple sulfur Bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum compared to Allochromatium vinosum and other Chromatiaceae

Sattley, W. M., Swingley, W. D., Burchell, B. M., Dewey, E. D., Hayward, M. K., Renbarger, T. L., … Madigan, M. T. (2021). Complete genome of the thermophilic purple sulfur Bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum compared to Allochromatium vinosum and other Chromatiaceae. Photosynthesis Research. doi:10.1007/s11120-021-00870-y

A note on planet size and cooling rate

Seales, J., & Lenardic, A. (2021). A note on planet size and cooling rate. Icarus, 367, 114560. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114560

Calcium isotope cosmochemistry

Valdes, M. C., Bermingham, K. R., Huang, S., & Simon, J. I. (2021). Calcium isotope cosmochemistry. Chemical Geology, 581, 120396. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120396

September 2021Phosphine Generation Pathways on Rocky Planets

Omran, A., Oze, C., Jackson, B., Mehta, C., Barge, L. M., Bada, J., & Pasek, M. A. (2021). Phosphine Generation Pathways on Rocky Planets. Astrobiology. doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0034

Multiple Moist Climate Equilibrium States on Arid Rocky M-dwarf Planets: A Last-saturation Tracer Analysis

Ding, F., & Wordsworth, R. D. (2021). Multiple Moist Climate Equilibrium States on Arid Rocky M-dwarf Planets: A Last-saturation Tracer Analysis. The Planetary Science Journal, 2(5), 201. doi:10.3847/psj/ac2236

An Improved Method to Measure Head Echoes Using a Meteor Radar

Panka, P. A., Weryk, R. J., Bruzzone, J. S., Janches, D., Schult, C., Stober, G., & Hormaechea, J. L. (2021). An Improved Method to Measure Head Echoes Using a Meteor Radar. The Planetary Science Journal, 2(5), 197. doi:10.3847/psj/ac22b2

A Model to Predict the Size of Regolith Clumps on Planetary Bodies

Patel, A., & Hartzell, C. (2021). A Model to Predict the Size of Regolith Clumps on Planetary Bodies. The Planetary Science Journal, 2(5), 196. doi:10.3847/psj/ac1a6e

An evolutionary system of mineralogy, Part V: Aqueous and thermal alteration of planetesimals (~4565 to 4550 Ma)

Hazen, R. M., & Morrison, S. M. (2021). An evolutionary system of mineralogy, Part V: Aqueous and thermal alteration of planetesimals (~4565 to 4550 Ma). American Mineralogist, 106(9), 1388–1419. doi:10.2138/am-2021-7760

Anaerobic Expression and Purification of Holo-CCIS, an Artificial Iron-sulfur Protein

Jagilinki, B., Paluy, I., Nanda, V., & Noy, D. (2021). Anaerobic Expression and Purification of Holo-CCIS, an Artificial Iron-sulfur Protein. BIO-PROTOCOL, 11(18), None. doi:10.21769/bioprotoc.4169

Investigation of Raman Spectroscopic Signatures with Multivariate Statistics: An Approach for Cataloguing Microbial Biosignatures

Messmer, M. W., Dieser, M., Smith, H. J., Parker, A. E., & Foreman, C. M. (2021). Investigation of Raman Spectroscopic Signatures with Multivariate Statistics: An Approach for Cataloguing Microbial Biosignatures. Astrobiology. doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0021