NASA Astrobiology

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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

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April 2026Intelligent Planetary Rock Mechanics: Machine Learning Pathways for Characterising Rock Mass Behaviour Beyond Earth

Liu, J. (2026). Intelligent Planetary Rock Mechanics: Machine Learning Pathways for Characterising Rock Mass Behaviour Beyond Earth. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. doi:10.1007/s00603-026-05506-y

Analytical Characterization Approaches to Measure Prebiotically Relevant Compounds in High Salinity Impact-Induced Hydrothermal Systems

Herrero Perez, M. J., Shelley, J. T., Cody, R. B., & Rogers, K. L. (2026). Analytical Characterization Approaches to Measure Prebiotically Relevant Compounds in High Salinity Impact-Induced Hydrothermal Systems. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry. doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00272

Nucleomorph phylogenomics suggests a deep and ancient origin of cryptophyte plastids within Rhodophyta

Novák, L. V. F., Muñoz‐Gómez, S. A., Ciobanu, M., Van Beveren, F., Eme, L., López‐GarcíA, P., & Moreira, D. (2026). Nucleomorph phylogenomics suggests a deep and ancient origin of cryptophyte plastids within Rhodophyta. New Phytologist. doi:10.1111/nph.71116

Methanogens Through Time and Space: Impact on Earth’s Planetary Evolution and Biogeochemistry

Tomko, P., Ovando-Ovando, C. I., Boussagol, P., Santiago-Martínez, M. G., & Visscher, P. T. (2026). Methanogens Through Time and Space: Impact on Earth’s Planetary Evolution and Biogeochemistry. Geosciences, 16(4), 144. doi:10.3390/geosciences16040144

What it takes to solve the origin of life: An integrated review. Part 1–Experimental methods and data repositories

Asche, S., Bautista, C., Blanco, C., Boulesteix, D., Champagne-Ruel, A., Mathis, C., … Xavier, J. C. (2026). What it takes to solve the origin of life: An integrated review. Part 1–Experimental methods and data repositories. Cell Reports Physical Science, None, 103212. doi:10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103212

What it takes to solve the origins of life: An integrated review. Part 2: Theoretical methods and emerging trends

Asche, S., Bautista, C., Blanco, C., Boulesteix, D., Champagne-Ruel, A., Mathis, C., … Xavier, J. C. (2026). What it takes to solve the origins of life: An integrated review. Part 2: Theoretical methods and emerging trends. Cell Reports Physical Science, None, 103211. doi:10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103211

Diverse organic molecules on Mars revealed by the first SAM TMAH experiment

Williams, A. J., Eigenbrode, J. L., Millan, M., Williams, R. H., McIntosh, O. M., Teinturier, S., … Vasavada, A. R. (2026). Diverse organic molecules on Mars revealed by the first SAM TMAH experiment. Nature Communications, 17(1), None. doi:10.1038/s41467-026-70656-0

Proton Irradiation of Primitive Atmospheres of Young Exoplanets and Early Earth: N2O Greenhouse Warming and Prebiotic Synthesis

Kobayashi, K., Airapetian, V.S., et. al. (2026) Proton Irradiation of Primitive Atmospheres of Young Exoplanets and Early Earth: N2O Greenhouse Warming and Prebiotic Synthesis. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 1002, L12. doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae5491

March 2026The relationship between organic matgrounds and sedimentary packaging: examples from the Ediacaran and early Cambrian

Droser, M. L., Surprenant, R. L., McCandless, H. K., & Gaines, R. R. (2026). The relationship between organic matgrounds and sedimentary packaging: examples from the Ediacaran and early Cambrian. Sedimentology. doi:10.1111/sed.70094

Microbial growth rates captured using Raman-SIP reveal a highly active subsurface biosphere fueled by serpentinization

Kashyap, S., Caro, T. A., & Templeton, A. S. (2026). Microbial growth rates captured using Raman-SIP reveal a highly active subsurface biosphere fueled by serpentinization. Nature Communications. doi:10.1038/s41467-026-70622-w

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