Astrochemistry

Sebastian Haas holds a piece of the salt crust from Last Chance Lake with green algae in the middle and black sediment at the bottom. Credit: David Catling/University of WashingtonCharles Darwin suggested the possibility of life originating in a “warm little pond” with a suitable mix of chemicals and energy. New research conducted by the University of Washington and published in Communications Earth & Environment highlights a shallow “soda lake” in western Canada as a potential match for these conditions. The findings…

By Washington University in St. Louis January 19, 2024Left: Composite image of a long-exposure and short-exposure image of the nucleus of comet Wild 2, showing surface features and jet activity. Right: Close-up view from a different image showing pinnacles, depressions, and ridges on Wild 2. Credit: GeochemistryEighteen years following the return of NASA’s Stardust mission to Earth, which brought back the first samples from a known comet, the true nature of that icy object is coming into focus.Stardust collected material…

In October 2017, astronomers detected an interstellar object traveling through our solar system for the first time. Theories abounded as to the nature of the oblong object, named ‘Oumuamua, which accelerated as it made its transit. Now, a team of researchers suggests a straightforward explanation: The interstellar interloper was a comet that was releasing hydrogen gas, propelling it on its way through our solar system.‘Oumuamua—Hawai’ian for “a messenger from afar arriving first”—was theorized to be everything from an…

A worker at the derailment cleanup site in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 5, 2023.Photo: Lucy Schaly/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (AP)In the two weeks since a 150-car train carrying toxic materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, officials are still working to determine the risk to nearby residents and the local environment. With a lack of fast and reliable facts, misinformation and conspiracies have spread through social media and even mainstream news.This morning, I spoke with Keeve Nachman, an associate professor of…

The Webb telescope team has detected water ice and frozen complex molecules in a molecular cloud about 630 light-years from Earth. By the scientists’ measure, the frigid findings are the deepest, coldest yet found in such a cloud.Molecular clouds are large, dark, dusty regions of space that often act as stellar nurseries, as they host the ingredients necessary for star formation. The clouds also host organic molecules; last year, researchers peering at a molecular cloud near the center of our galaxy found building blocks…