Organic Molecules

• 

  James Webb Telescope Detects Methanol and Ethanol Near Young Stars, Hinting at Life’s Origins

  NASA’s James Webb Telescope has identified ethanol and methanol isotopes around protostars and HD 100453. These discoveries offer valuable clues about the cosmic origins of life, indicating that comets filled with organic molecules might have seeded early Earth.

• 

  JWST Reveals Pluto’s Haze Cools Atmosphere, Paints Charon’s Poles Red

  Pluto's thin haze of organic particles, confirmed by JWST’s mid-infrared observations, plays a crucial role in both cooling its mesosphere and launching methane into space. This methane escapes Pluto’s gravity, landing on Charon’s poles where radiation transforms it into reddish tholins. The study highlights how Pluto’s haze shapes not only...

• 

  Scientists Reportedly Found a Potential Sign of Life on a Distant Planet: What You Need to Know

  The expert team of scientists from the University of Cambridge, UK, has made a shocking statement by claiming that there are signs of life at a distant planet, K2- 18 b. The scientists have discovered DMS and DMDS molecules in the plant’s atmosphere. However, the claims are being questioned worldwide.

• 

  Microlightning in Water Droplets Could Explain the Origin of Life on Earth

  Microlightning, tiny electrical discharges occurring in water droplets from crashing waves or waterfalls, may have played a crucial role in forming organic molecules necessary for life. A study published in Science Advances reveals that these sparks can create carbon-nitrogen bonds, challenging the long-standing Miller-Urey hypothesis. Led by Richa...

• 

  Private Venus Mission Plans to Retrieve Cloud Samples for Life Research

  A privately-led space mission is being developed to retrieve and analyse cloud samples from Venus. Scientists believe the planet’s sulfuric acid clouds might sustain organic molecules necessary for life. The mission, named Morning Star, involves deploying probes to collect mist from Venus' atmosphere. The collected samples would be returned to Ea...

• 

  AI Study Finds Organic Molecules on Ceres Likely Came from Asteroid Impacts

  A new AI-driven study has challenged previous assumptions about the origin of organic molecules on Ceres. Scientists have mapped organic-rich areas using data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft and found no evidence linking these compounds to cryovolcanic activity. Instead, simulations suggest asteroid impacts from the outer belt likely delivered the ma...

• 

  NASA SPHEREx Telescope to Map the Universe and Search for Life’s Ingredients

  NASA’s SPHEREx mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 27, aims to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of galaxies. Using near-infrared light, the telescope will study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. It will also search for water and organic molecules in regions where ...

• 

  Organic Molecules in Space: A Key to Understanding Life's Cosmic Origins

  Organic molecules, the building blocks of life, have been discovered across space—from interstellar clouds to asteroids and comets. Findings from missions like Rosetta, Hayabusa2, and Osiris-Rex reveal that these compounds existed long before the Sun formed. Scientists believe organic molecules survived planetary formation in protoplanetary disks...

• 

  NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Organic Molecules on Mars

  NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered possible organic molecules on Mars using the SHERLOC instrument. While these findings are intriguing, the scientific community remains divided. Some believe the signals suggest ancient life, while others argue the data could point to non-organic sources. The debate underscores the difficulty of interpretin...

• 

  Astronomers Discover 1-Cyanopyrene in Interstellar Space Revealing Carbon Secrets

  Astronomers have discovered a new organic molecule, 1-cyanopyrene, in interstellar space. This finding challenges the long-held belief that carbon-rich compounds cannot survive harsh conditions in space. Detected in the Taurus Molecular Cloud-1, this discovery opens new avenues for understanding how carbon behaves in the universe. Researchers empha...

• 

  James Webb Space Telescope Detects Possible Liquid Ocean on Uranus Moon Ariel

  The James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered intriguing evidence suggesting that Ariel, one of Uranus’s moons, may harbour an underground liquid ocean. This discovery, part of the "Moons of Uranus" project, involved 21 hours of observations focused on detecting water, ammonia, organic molecules, and carbon dioxide ice.

• 

  NASA's Perseverance Rover Finds First Possible Hint Of Ancient Life On Mars

  The rover recently discovered a rock sample, nicknamed "Cheyava Falls," which contains organic molecules and structures that could have been formed by microbial life.

• 

  Origins of Life Explored: Study Points To Ancient Hot Springs As Potential Source

  This research not only sheds light on Earth's early life, but also raises the tantalizing possibility that similar processes could be occurring in the frozen seas of distant moons.

• 

  NASA's Perseverance Rover Finds Diverse Set Of Organic Molecules On Mars

  Organic molecules are the key building blocks of life on Earth that are made primarily of carbon and hydrogen and often other elements like oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur.

• 

  NASA's James Webb Telescope Detects Complex, Organic Molecules In Distant Galaxy

  Mr. Spilker said the discovery, was made possible by the combined powers of "Webb, fate, and gravitational lensing".