Welcome to the weekly digest of Astrobiology news, views, and other bits and bobs I feel like sharing! This Week: exoplanet habitability, astrochemistry, and biosignatures! Plus, recommended content and books!

How Stellar Threats effect the Habitable Zone for Exoplanets

While the habitable zone (HZ) around a star is typically the prime region for supporting life, new research shows that a planet's stellar environment plays a crucial role in its habitability. Factors like nearby supernovae and stellar flybys can pose significant threats to planets in these zones, potentially ejecting them from their orbits or stripping away their atmospheres. Researchers from the Integrated Science Education And Research Centre (of at Visva-Bharati University in India) examined HZ planets in nearby stellar systems, introducing metrics like the Solar Similarity Index (SSI) and Neighbourhood Similarity Index (NSI) to assess these environments' risks. Their findings suggest that while many HZ systems have similar stellar surroundings to our own, certain systems, such as TOI-1227 and HD 48265, face supernova risks, while HD 165155 is vulnerable to stellar encounters. It yet again seems the idea of a habitable zone is not as simple as we’d like.

. https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.22396 (open access)

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-stellar-threats-impact-habitable-zone.html

Generation of complex molecules by Gamma Rays (in interstellar medium)

A recent study shows that gamma radiation can transform methane into a diverse array of organic molecules, including hydrocarbons, oxygenated compounds, and amino acids, even at room temperature. Led by Weixin Huang from the University of Science and Technology of China, the team’s results reveal organic molecule formation pathways in space and may inform industrial methane conversion methods. Gamma rays, present in cosmic rays and decaying isotopes, can drive reactions among simple molecules like methane in interstellar dust and ice. Experimenting with methane at room temperature, the team observed that adding water, oxygen, or ammonia accelerated the formation of products like acetone, acetic acid, and glycine—an amino acid also found in space. Their work suggests that interstellar dust composition affects reaction outcomes and highlights gamma radiation’s potential for converting methane into valuable compounds in industrial chemistry.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202413296 (restricted access)

https://astrobiology.com/2024/11/interstellar-methane-as-progenitor-of-amino-acids.html

Destruction of complex molecules by Gamma Rays (on the surface of Mars)

Researchers from Georgetown University, Washington DC, examine how galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) affect lipid biosignatures like hopanes, steranes, alkanes, and fatty acids (FAs) on Mars, shedding light on their stability and implications for biosignature detection. Lipids degraded much faster than amino acids when exposed to gamma rays (to simulate GCRs), with degradation rates spiking 4–6 times in the presence of salts like NaCl and MgCl₂. Notably, FAs were the only lipids to form detectable by-products, producing alkanes and aldehydes. These findings caution that salty Martian environments, often targeted for their potential to preserve life’s traces, may actually accelerate degradation under radiation. For future Mars missions, the study underscores the importance of seeking out recently exposed rock surfaces or subsurface sites with protection from GCRs to improve the chances of detecting preserved biosignatures. This research highlights the need for refined strategies in selecting sampling sites on Mars to minimize the impact of long-term radiation exposure on potential organic evidence.

https://astrobiology.com/2024/11/rapid-destruction-of-lipid-biomarkers-under-simulated-cosmic-radiation.html

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/ast.2024.0006 (open access)

Distinguishing Biosignatures on Icy moons

As we have recently been sending probes to the Europa, and with growing interest of Enceladus, the ability to discern whether detected molecules are of biotic or abiotic origin becomes highly important. Distinguishing between the two requires a new approach: analysing the energy involved in creating these molecules. On Earth, life utilizes energy-releasing reactions to drive biosynthesis. Applying this to space, if a molecule is thermodynamically unstable in its environment, it may indicate life using it as an energy source; if stable, it likely formed abiotically.

This framework is demonstrated on Enceladus, Saturn’s icy moon, where Cassini detected organic compounds in its plume gases. Calculations suggest these molecules could form naturally, hinting at abiotic origins. Nonetheless, this method provides a powerful tool for future missions, helping us refine our search for genuine biosignatures across varied planetary environments.

https://astrobiology.com/2024/11/distinguishing-potential-organic-biosignatures-on-ocean-worlds-from-abiotic-geochemical-products-using-thermodynamic-calculations-2.html

https://chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxiv/article-details/6718180312ff75c3a13a58bf (open access working paper)

Content of The Week

The Guardian Science Weekly Podcast: Could We Really Live on Mars?

Given the eagerness of some people to set up a habitable colony on Mars, this podcast explores the feasibility of such an endeavour by interviewing two experts in the field. Prof Sanjeev Gupta of Imperial College London gives the host (Madeleine Finlay) an overview of the climate, habitat, geology, and weather of the red planet. Author Kelly Weinersmith then explains how difficult life on Mars may realistically be, while exploring some societal issues a colony may face.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2024/nov/05/could-we-really-live-on-mars-podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1aOEfzD1EVjMdfP7h1FKTD?si=7eb601030bce422f

Book of The Week

This week I read ‘Contact’ by Carl Sagan, in its entirety. It’s definitely one of those books you can’t put down! It’s a book I feel I should have read much earlier, as an astrobiologist, as it’s written by the legendary scientist, communicator, and co-founder of SETI. In this fiction novel he explores how the world may react to a radio signal from a supposed extraterrestrial origin, pulling from his vast experience of astrophysics. The novel follows the journey of a radio astronomer through the initial detection of the signal, all the way through to the climax of the story, which I will not spoil for you! Sagan’s understanding of human psychology, and society result in a highly compelling and highly plausible world within the story. His predictions of a near-future are highly grounded in science and full of small details that feel targeted to those with a science background. Although, ‘Contact’ isn’t just a straight cut sci-fi; the novel explores implications of an extraterrestrial signal with regards to religion and politics, and effectively presents a dialogue between science and religion with profound ideas. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in SETI, and contemplating our place in the universe.

Contact was first published in 1986, and is now published by Orbit. It was adapted into a film in 1997.

https://www.orbit-books.co.uk/titles/carl-sagan-4/contact/9780356518848/

Hello everyone. According to the analysis of samples taken from the Ryugu asteroid, all proteinogenic amino acids present in non-racemic mixtures and all non-proteinogenic amino acids are almost racemic. It's strange to me that this fact has hardly been discussed anywhere. Do you have any thoughts about this?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772391724000215#bib0037

Welcome to this weekly digest of Astrobiology news, views, and other bits and bobs I feel like sharing! If this is received well, I hope to produce one of these posts each week (where I have time) to showcase the latest research and discoveries in the field.

Miranda: A Potential New Oceanic Icy Moon

Researchers have this week published results of in-depth visual analysis of Uranus’ Moon Miranda. Their results suggest this small, distant satellite may possess a sub-surface ocean, evidenced by rugged surface features such as cracks and ridges, which are also observed on the other sub-surface ocean possessing moons of Europa and Enceladus. The presence of a sub-surface ocean here may increase the prospects of habitability in this moon, making it the furthest object from the sun on which we think life may be possible. Provided enough geothermal energy is present, or internal heat from tidal forces, life may have suitable energy stores. However, more research needed to characterise the moon further before any serious speculation of habitability can be carried out.

Research Paper (Open access)

Accessible Article (Phys.org)

Perseverance Rover Finds Some Peculiar Rocks on Mars

NASA has released images of a newly discovered red and green rock formation in the ‘Serpentine Rapids’ of Neretva Vallis on Mars. Discovered by the perseverance rover, these geological oddities resemble oxidised iron which has subsequently been reduced prior to hardening of sediment. On Earth, iron reduction can be the result of microbial activity, however it can also occur abiotically in reactions between sulphur and iron. To definitively determine their formation, sample return missions or in-situ analysis must be carried out, both of which seem many years away. Regardless, this marks another interesting piece of potential evidence towards ancient Martian life. Notice the uncertainty in my tone, don’t go telling people we’ve found Martians!

NASA Article

Rocky Planets of M-Dwarf Stars May Maintain Stable Atmospheres

Simulations of planetary formation of a rocky planet of the TRAPPIST-1 system has revealed where planets are further from the star (in the ‘goldilocks zone’ where liquid water is maintainable) a stable atmosphere can be maintained. While light gasses do escape initially, reactions between hydrogen, oxygen, and iron in the planetary interior produce heavier gases, including water, which help maintain a stable atmosphere. This water is also precipitated rapidly as rainfall, preventing atmospheric escape. These simulated findings give further credence to the suggestions that one or multiple of the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets may be habitable. Future research using James Webb Space Telescope should focus on these planets to determine the presence of at atmosphere practically.

Research Paper (Open Access)

Accessible Article (astrobiology.com)

The Origins of Life: Organic Rich Atmosphere on Early Earth

Researchers from three Japanese universities have developed a model to explore how Earth’s atmosphere evolved to support life. Early Earth had a hostile atmosphere, rich in hydrogen and methane, which reacted under UV light to form organic molecules. However, because the atmosphere was unstable and reacted constantly, understanding UV’s exact role has been tricky. The new model suggests that methane-derived hydrocarbons likely blocked much of the incoming UV radiation, stabilizing the atmosphere and allowing an "organic soup" to accumulate. This could have provided the essential ingredients for life. The study sheds light on why Earth’s atmosphere evolved so differently from nearby planets like Venus and Mars, helping us understand what makes Earth unique, and what it might mean for life on other planets.

Research Paper (Restricted Access)

Accessible Article (phys.org)

Content of The Week

Exocast-75b: Radial Velocity Surveys of Young Planets with Dr. Louise Nielsen

In the latest episode of the Exocast Podcast, the hosts chat with Dr. Louise Nielsen, of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, about the radial velocity method of exoplanet detection.

Exocast Website

Spotify Link

Book of The Week

I’ve this week finished reading ‘The Copernicus Complex: The Quest for Our Cosmic (In)Significance’ By Dr Caleb Scharf. This was an excellent romp through everything that makes Planet Earth and the life upon it so special, and puts it into perspective with the search for habitable exoplanets and life beyond Earth and our solar system. Dr Scharf expertly weaves a narrative through the history of space science, while eloquently explaining physical, astronomical, biological and philosophical concepts pertaining to our place in the universe. Are we insignificant in the grand scale of space time? Or does our seemingly unmatched uniqueness make us the most significant planet we know of? Dr Scharf’s writing is accessible to those new to the subject field, while also being engaging and insightful to those who may know a lot about astrobiology and astrophysics.

‘The Copernicus Complex: The Quest for Our Cosmic (In)Significance’ was first published in 2014, and is now published by Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK.

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/188182/the-copernicus-complex-by-caleb-scharf/9780141974934

Thanks for taking a look at this post, I look forward to possible lively debate and discussions in the comments!

Good day. Does anyone know a few ways to contribute to astrobio citizen science? Like some online community that work together, maybe GitHub repos?

It'd be kind of a play on 2001: a space odyssey, and would be about a very old, maybe-eldritch half-human character visiting a different planet and watching a species evolve and come into sapience, and kinda taking the place of the obelisk, just kinda being there at the moments when this species makes its most important advancements

But it would be from the point of view of the emerging species, and the legends they tell about him

Idk exactly what the species will look like, but very different from humans, the half-human character will look entirely alien to them

They'll probably have some sort of shiny chitin or something? Just for the comparison of that to the half-human's (black, shiny) suit. Also a different number of limbs, again, for the comparison (why does this being only have 4? Did someone rip off the others? D: )

I guess the first things to figure out would be 1) what things in humanity's history would be considered important achievements, and 2) what paradigms of life on earth do and don't apply to them

I'm gonna start with 2, because that seems easier to narrow down, I think

-All lifeforms would need a source of energy, be it from their planet's star, or geothermal vents, or something else -They would most likely need physical bodies of some sort, which means that they'd need nutrients/physical matter for them to build their bodies out of -They'd need some sort of way to reproduce, and some sort of way for mutations to arise (otherwise, they wouldn't be able to evolve) This doesn't have to be a DNA analogue, but that might be the easiest to explain/conceptualize --Following from the previous, there would likely also be biodiversity, as things mutate in all sorts of different ways -I would also need them to eventually develop ways to learn, and to communicate, as shared knowledge is one of the things that makes a society, I think -I want them to have some sort of ongoing conflict, for two reasons: 1) I feel like social conflict is one of the main things that made our brains grow more powerful, and 2) an organism that has everything it needs and doesn't have to strive for anything is a happy organism, but a boring one

So, I have two main ideas:

1. they live near geothermal vents, at the bottom of an ocean frozen under a thick layer of ice.

-One of their triumphs is when they break through the layer and see the stars for the first time. -The main limiter of this species is space: they need to be a certain distance from the vents, and there's only so many organisms that can occupy that space at one time. -This would likely result in a relatively small community, at least until they develop the ability to store energy long enough to travel to other vents. --This might make (most of) the species overall more adventurous? Since aside from the ones at the original vent, they'd all be descended from the ones that were willing to go out into the cold and the dark to see what was there.

2. they photosynthesize (basically sentient trees? Maybe with big fins for catching the sun, rather than leaves?)

-They can move their limbs (they do this often, and eventually develop a network of themselves that can move things along to other locations/specific individuals) -I feel like this would result in a v cooperative community, also internet vibes to their communications? -I see no real limiters with this species; there's a lot of land, a lot of water, and a lot of sun. Maybe their main conflicts are external (bug analogues, etc) or social (convincing the other ones around you to do what you want)? I feel like the former might lead to an "us vs. them" kind of mentality in the species, and the latter might compound it. Not sure whether or not that would be a good thing for the story. -Maybe they can also move their roots? (If so, they're not very good at it, and only do it when necessary.)

The other cool thing I thought of, that could honestly be applied to either species, is that they develop tendrils that can drill into another creature and take its nutrients/energy for itself. -The ones that are the most successful are the ones that learn that taking good care of the creatures that they're attached to also means that they themselves fare better) -Eventually, it becomes a cultural thing; they start breeding creatures to make good familiars (docile, mostly sedentary/able to be uprooted and moved, if necessary, depending on which species I go with, good at producing excess energy, good pain tolerance, etc). -They might become a status symbol, too, or at least a look into the personality of the owner.

That's about all I have so far, any input is greatly appreciated <3

This is a broad list of useful astrobiology resources for an introduction, news and latest developments, academic resources, reading materials, video/audio content, and national/international organisations.

If you have suggestions of further resources to include, please let me know. I will endeavour to update this master post every few months. Last Updated 24/10/24 .

What is Astrobiology?

• Astrobiology Wikipedia - Useful to jump into for an overview of the field with quick links to various sub-fields. Remember, this isn't entirely up to date, as is user editable.
• "Astrobiology (Overview)" [Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science] - A more science focussed, and peer reviewed overview of the subject featuring references to other peer reviewed literature.
• National Geographic Astrobiology Feature - An engaging and informative overview of the field written to be accessible to the general public interested in science. Contains engaging NatGeo photos.
• Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction by David C. Catling - A short but comprehensive book on all the field of Astrobiology contains. Available at most good bookshops, or online as a book, eBook, or audiobook.

Latest Astrobiology News - Secondary Sources

• NASA Astrobiology - A NASA operated website with information about the subject and a feed of latest news and developments in the field.
• Astrobiology.com - A highly up-to-date compendium of all Astrobiology news, primarily composed of brief summaries of research papers. Contains links to sources.
• New Scientist - Astrobiology Articles - A page dedicated to all articles about Astrobiology features in New Scientist magazine or just on their website. Some articles are behind a paywall.
• Phys.org Astrobiology - A collection of articles pertaining to Astrobiology on the widely read online science news outlet.
• Sci.news Astrobiology - A collection of articles pertaining to Astrobiology on the online outlet sci.news.

Peer-Reviewed Academic Journals - Primary Sources

• Astrobiology (journal) - "The most-cited peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the understanding of life's origin, evolution, and distribution in the universe, with a focus on new findings and discoveries from interplanetary exploration and laboratory research." (from their website).
• Nature Astrobiology - A collection of all the latest research articles in the field of Astrobiology, across the Nature family of academic journals.
• International Journal of Astrobiology - Dedicated astrobiology journal from Cambridge University Press.
• Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences - A sub-set of a space science journal dedicated to Astrobiology.
• The Astrophysical Journal - Contains papers more broadly in Astrophysics, but often includes important research on astrobiology, and exoplanets and their habitability.
• The Planetary Science Journal - Focussed broadly on planetology, often in astrobiological contexts.
• Google Scholar - Searching astrobiology keywords on google scholar is great for finding peer reviewed sources.

Books

• Pop Science Books -  A Goodreads list of Astrobiology Pop Science books from the origin of life to the future of humankind.
• Astrobiology Textbooks  - A Goodreads list of Astrobiology and Astrobiology aligned textbooks for students and academics.

Lectures, Videos, and Audio Content

• TED Talks - A collection of TED talks on Astrobiological concepts.
• Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life (Online Course) - A free to access online course as an introduction to Astrobiology by Prof Charles Cockell of the University of Edinburgh. The final certificate is optional, but needs to be paid for.
• NASA Astrobiology YouTube - Podcasts, lectures, and short video content from NASA about Astrobiology.
• Astrobiology (ALIENS) with Kevin Peter Hand [Ologies podcast with Alie Ward] - An exceptional podcast chatting with renowned astrobiologist Dr Kevin Peter Hand.
• Exocast Podcast - A podcast dedicated to the field of Exo-planetology featuring experts in planetary science and astrophysics. Often with astrobiological themes.

Astrobiology Organisations

• European Astrobiology Institute (EAI) - A collection of researchers, higher education institutions and organisations surrounding Astrobiology. Contains many useful resources including job and PhD opportunities.
• European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) - A similar collection of Astrobiology researchers and academics. Contains resources such as conference listings and job market information.
• Astrobiology Graduates in Europe (AbGradE) - An organisation for recently graduated Astrobiology students to engage with further research opportunities. Contains job and PhD opportunities.
• Astrobiology Society of Britain (ASB) - A learned society for all those interested in AStrobiology. Features many resources including a list of all activve astrobiology researchers in the UK.
• Astrobiology Society of America - a student centric organisation for AStrobiology in the USA.

I’m trying to find six different papers for an astrobiology project, but I haven’t had much luck. I’ve looked at various sources, but I’m not finding it very interesting and I don’t know much about astrobiology. Could someone help me out?

3 is enough for me but 6 will be great

Hey guys! My name is Keshav, I am a 22-year old student based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This past May, I published my first book; Astrobiology and the Search for Life in our Universe. Vol 1. The Essence of Everything. Yes, it is rather a mouthful. I have attached the entire manuscript for the book below, so anyone who is interested in flicking through it can do so. I am very proud of my work but unfortunately it is very difficult for me to spread the word of my book around. To get it traditionally published is virtually impossible as there is no market for it at all here. Thus, I am trying to push it internationally, but I require some help to get the word out. Additionally, my book is currently available on Amazon, I have attached a link to it below. If you do enjoy the content and would like to purchase a paperback copy for yourself i'd greatly appreciate that! But even just spreading the word to your peers/colleagues/friends/family would be great.

The book is the first of a four part volume on Astrobiology. I am currently writing the second volume, and hope to publish it by the end of the year. To provide better information I will briefly break down the contents of all four volumes below. 

Vol 1 - Exploring the Essence of Everything. Chap 1 - Stars, Planets, and Everything in Between. Chap 2 - Chemistry of our Universe. Chap 3 - History of Earth

Vol 2 - Understanding the Essence of Existence. Chap 4 - The Origins of Life on Earth. Chap 5 - The Evolution of Life on Earth. Chap 6 - The Chemistry of Life on Earth

Vol 3 - Discovering the Essence of Exploration. Chap 7 - SETI. Chap 8 - Hunting for Exoplanets. Chap 9 - Habitable Worlds

Vol 4 - Unveiling the Essence of Eternity. Chap 10 - The Drake Equation. Chap 11 - Types of Civilisations. Chap 12 - The Future of Everything

As you can see, the writing is essentially one giant book that has been broken down into 4 smaller volumes where each volume is a direct continuation of the last. This is mainly due to page count and convenience as the total book would contain some 1,200+ pages but each smaller volume fits 300-400 pages. It is my ambition to become an astrobiologist eventually, and I hope to one day walk the terrain of Mars.

Thanks everyone!

 Exploring the Essence of Everything.pdf
Amazon link

Hi there guys, im from Brasil, and i want to work with astrobiology, specific in the botany area, trying to cultivate in the lunar/mars regolith, but i dont know very well how to reach that. Here, in my country, theres very low investiment in space science, so i want to move to USA or EU to pursue my dream.

I just want some tips on how to reach that, in things like:

• How to chose the better undergratuate course
• Where i get informations to be actualized in the field
• International events and perspectives on the career path

Futhermore, im open to talk to anybody who wants to discuss about that area.

ps: sorry for my english, im praticing hehe

Hello! As part of my studies (college) I need to interview a microbiologist who does their research in the astrobiology field. Please if you have time to spare and is interested do not hesitate to contact me! Thank you in advance!

I’ve been looking into it a lot but the pay looks horrible and way less that a livable wage so I am starting to reconsider

Hi! I'm interested space. I want to go into space biology like looking at how space affects cellular and molecular mechanisms of life and diseases processes. But I'm also interested in astrobiology and planetary science, like looking at biosignatures and designing the life science aspect of space missions.

I'm choosing between doing an MSc in Analytical Biosciences (molecular mixed with bioinformatics) or an MSc in Astrobiology.

My concern is practicality. The AnaBio is a bit general allowing me to still do astrobiology research. I'll also have a lot of fallback in terms of employment in my country (as a professor or researcher).

The AstroBio on the other hand is very specialized, and apart from the space agency in my country, I don't see a good fallback option for it.

What do you guys think? Should I just do the AnaBio and just do research in space biology/astrobiology, or take the AstroBio and hope I'll find success in the field?