Tag: spectroscopy
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Brightens as It Zooms Past the Sun: Blue Light Cues New Study
Overview: A Rare Visitor from Beyond Our Solar System Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS has captured the imagination of astronomers and space enthusiasts alike as it follows a path that takes it around the Sun’s gravity. A newly published study confirms that the object brightened rapidly as it approached perihelion, the closest point to the Sun, and…
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Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Turns Blue Near the Sun, Brightening Rapidly on Oct. 29
What happened to 3I/ATLAS on October 29? On October 29, 2025, the interstellar visitor designated 3I/ATLAS exhibited an unexpected and dramatic change in appearance as it drew closer to the Sun. In a sequence of rapid observations from multiple space-based solar observatories, the object shifted to a distinctly blue hue and brightened noticeably. This rare…
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Mars rovers glimpse interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS near Mars
Rising Challenge: Observing a Visitor from Another Star In October 2025, astronomers faced a familiar problem with an unfamiliar guest. Comet 3I/ATLAS, a rare interstellar visitor entering our Solar System, was about to be swallowed by solar glare as it approached the Sun. From Earth, the glare of the Sun would wash out any view.…
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Observed by Mars Orbiters
A visitor from another star In late 2025, Earth’s telescopes were chasing light from a visitor that didn’t belong to our solar system. 3I/ATLAS is not a typical comet born in the icy outskirts of the Sun’s domain; it arrived from another star and is currently just a fleeting guest in our celestial neighborhood. Discovered…
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ESA’s ExoMars and Mars Express Spotlight Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS
ESA’s ExoMars and Mars Express observe interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS NASA/ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Mars Express mission have joined a historic moment in planetary science by observing the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. The observations, captured with the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) on TGO, show a faint but telling picture of…
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Unveiling Trapped CO2 on Saturn’s Moons: JWST Sheds Light on Ice, Organics, and Solar System Chemistry
Introduction: A New Window into Outer Solar System Chemistry The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is expanding our understanding of planetary surfaces far beyond Earth. A recent study focusing on the satellites of Saturn uses JWST spectra to identify solid-state CO2 trapped within diverse host materials across eight mid-sized moons. This work reveals that CO2…
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JWST Sheds Light on Trapped CO2 Across Saturn’s Satellites
Overview The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened a new window into the chemistry of the outer solar system by detecting solid state carbon dioxide (CO2) on eight mid-sized Saturnian satellites. Spanning moons inside and outside the Iapetus–Phoebe region, these observations illuminate how CO2 can be trapped in various host materials at temperatures where…
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JWST Study of CO2 on Saturn’s Satellites Reveals Varieties
Introduction The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is pushing the frontiers of planetary science by analyzing the composition of bodies far from Earth. A new study using JWST spectra investigates carbon dioxide (CO2) on eight mid-sized Saturnian satellites, from the inner moons Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea to the outer ones Hyperion, Iapetus, and…
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Phosphine in Brown Dwarf Atmospheres: Biosignature Clues
Introduction: Phosphine and the hunt for life beyond Earth Scientists seeking life beyond our planet often focus on biosignatures—molecules that hint at biological processes. Phosphine, a gas produced by anaerobic microbes on Earth, has long been proposed as a potential marker of life. Yet before any molecule can be treated as a true biosignature, researchers…
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Mysterious phosphine in a brown dwarf casts doubt on Venus biosignature claims
A mysterious molecule in a brown dwarf challenges our ideas about life signals A new study published in Science reports the detection of phosphine, a simple phosphorus-bearing molecule, in the atmosphere of a brown dwarf named Wolf 1130C. The finding is provocative because phosphine has long been touted as a potential sign of life when…