Astrokemi

How did JAXA’s Ryugu samples end up with DNA’s five letters?

New analyses of Hayabusa2 material show asteroid samples contain genetic building blocks — all five canonical nucleobases — but key gaps remain before we can say space made life. Mar 28, 2026

Space

MeerKAT Snags a 'Mega‑Laser' 8 Billion Light‑Years Away — The Signal Is Real, but Not a Beacon

A bright, short radio burst—called a 'mega‑laser'—was detected by South Africa's MeerKAT and traced to a merging galaxy 8+ billion light‑years away. Astronomers say the signal is … Mar 23, 2026

Genetics

Vikings Revisited: Did Mars Show Life in 1976?

This week scientists revisit Viking data from 1976 and argue that positive signals in early life-detection experiments may have been wiped out by the very tests designed to find t… Feb 17, 2026

Science

Interstellar Object Glows — Scientists Baffled

A rare interstellar visitor, 3I/ATLAS, has produced an unexpected sunward glow that has left scientists baffled. New multi‑telescope data shows unusual chemistry and morphology; a… Feb 17, 2026

Space

Sugars From Space: Bennu’s Recipe for Life

Scientists report ribose and glucose in pristine samples from asteroid Bennu, along with salts, phosphates and amino acids — findings that sharpen theories about how life’s ingred… Feb 06, 2026

Space

Vanishing Planet: GJ 3470b's Disappearing Atmosphere

Hubble observations show the Neptune-sized exoplanet GJ 3470b leaking a giant hydrogen cloud and shedding mass at a record rate. Astronomers say the planet may be on a long path t… Jan 19, 2026

Space

Europa Clipper Eyes 3I/ATLAS

NASA’s Europa Clipper and other spacecraft have returned ultraviolet views of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, validating flight hardware and mapping gas and dust while coordinate… Jan 09, 2026

Space

SPHEREx Maps Sky in 102 Infrared Colors

NASA's SPHEREx mission has completed a full-sky survey in 102 infrared bands, producing a multilayered cosmic atlas that scientists say can turn a flat star chart into a 3D map of… Dec 20, 2025

Space

3I/ATLAS: Iceberg, Engine, or Enigma?

New observations of interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS have revealed an odd chemistry, strange light-scattering and sunward jets — and a debate between natural explanations and calls t… Nov 18, 2025

Space

Enceladus: Cassini Finds New Life-Clues

A fresh analysis of Cassini’s ice-grain samples reveals freshly ejected organic intermediates and strengthens the case for hydrothermal chemistry in Enceladus’s subsurface ocean —… Nov 17, 2025

Space

James Webb Detects Complex Organic Molecules in Ices Beyond the Milky Way

Observations with JWST’s MIRI instrument reveal multiple complex organic molecules embedded in ice around a protostar in the Large Magellanic Cloud, marking the first solid-state … Nov 15, 2025

Harvard astrophysicist urges caution as interstellar object 3I/ATLAS draws scrutiny

An unusually large and fast interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, is generating debate after a Harvard researcher suggested it may be artificial and urged attention to forthcoming observ… Nov 13, 2025

astrokemi

Articles about astrokemi

How did JAXA’s Ryugu samples end up with DNA’s five letters?

MeerKAT Snags a 'Mega‑Laser' 8 Billion Light‑Years Away — The Signal Is Real, but Not a Beacon

Vikings Revisited: Did Mars Show Life in 1976?

Interstellar Object Glows — Scientists Baffled

Sugars From Space: Bennu’s Recipe for Life

Vanishing Planet: GJ 3470b's Disappearing Atmosphere

Europa Clipper Eyes 3I/ATLAS

SPHEREx Maps Sky in 102 Infrared Colors

3I/ATLAS: Iceberg, Engine, or Enigma?

Enceladus: Cassini Finds New Life-Clues

James Webb Detects Complex Organic Molecules in Ices Beyond the Milky Way

Harvard astrophysicist urges caution as interstellar object 3I/ATLAS draws scrutiny