Welcome to Astrobiology!

 

Febuary, 2008

A New Issue of the NAI Newsletter is Available - [Link]

UA Astronomer Michael Meyer and His team find that at least one in five neighboring sun-like stars may form terrestrial planets. UA NEWS- [Link]

 

January, 2008

 

News from Module 2

 

December, 2007

New issue of the NAI Newsletter is available - [Link]

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November, 2007

AbSciCon 2008: Astrobiology Science Conference

April 15-17, Santa Clara, California

Abstract submission deadline is December 3, 2007 - [Link]

• Session 11: Chemical constraints on the Formation and Evolution of Habitable Worlds - [Link]
• Session Leaders:
  • Avi Mandell - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Michael Meyer - UA astronomy
• Session 15: The Evolution of the Biogeochemical Cycling of Phosphorus and other Bioessential Elements - [Link]
  • Session Leaders:
    • Matt Pasek - UA Lunar and Planetary Labs (LPL)
    • Dominic Papineau - Carnegie Institution of Washington
    • Jelte Harnmeijer - University of Washington
• Session 36: Water and Life: Redefining the Habitable Zone of terrestrial planets - [Link]
  • Session Leaders:
    • Alex Pavlov - UA Lunar and Planetary Labs (LPL)
    • Chris McKay - NASA Ames Research Center

Astrobiology Lunch Series Continues -- Friday, November 2

• Ariel Anbar, Arizona State University Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and school of Earth & Space Exploration is the invited speaker Friday, November 2 at 12:30 PM in N505 Steward Observatory.
• Title: "A Whiff of Oxygen before the Great Oxidation Event?"

 

October, 2007

Winter-School/Workshop - Physics and Astrophysics of Planetary Systems - [Link]

• February 18-29, 2008

• Les Houches, near Chamonix in the French Alps

• Application Deadline: Nov. 31, Only 60 available spots so apply early

Congratulations! To Dr. Stefanie Milam, who has just completed her PhD and will now continue to do research at NASA AMES.

Astrobiology Lunch Series Continues -- Friday, October 26

• Sandra Pizzarello, Arizona State University Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry is the invited speaker Friday, October 26 at 12:30 PM in N505 Steward Observatory
• Title: "The Chemistry that Proceeded Life's Origin: A Study Guide from Meteorites"

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September, 2007

UA Astronomers Will Trace Planet Formation with Neon - [Link]

Phoenix Mars Mission Receives Due Recognition - [Link]

Astrobiology Lunch Series Continues -- Friday, September 28

• Roy Parker, The University of Arizona Molecular & Cellular Biology department is the invited speaker Friday, September 28 at 12:30 PM in N505 Steward Observatory.
• Title: "Thoughts on the Origins of Life from an RNA Biologist."

Astrobiology and the Arts:  A Symposium and a Concert

• Wed. Sept 19 -- Symposium
  Location:  Steve Eller Dance Theater, 1737 E. University Blvd
  • 1 p.m., "Astrobiology and the Visual Arts,"
    • Richard L. Poss, astronomy
  • 1:30 p.m., "Aliens and Ambivalence in Visual Culture: A Threshold for Spiritual Connection?"
    • Paul E. Ivey, School of Art
  • 2 p.m., "Allegories of Space and Death,"
    • Homer B. Pettey, School of Media Arts
  • 2:30 p.m., "Finding Space: Archives, NASA, and the Moving Image,"
    • Jennifer L. Jenkins, School of Media Arts
  • 3 p.m., "Awe and Inspiration: the Artist's Inquiry into the Large,"
    • Rick Warmer, School of Dance
  • 3:30 p.m., "Anatomy of a Visitation,"
    • Fiction reading by Jennifer Rea of Indianapolis, Ind., winner of UA's Astrobiology and the Sacred fiction contest.
  • 7 p.m., "How Strange Could Life Be?"
    • Chris Impey, astronomy, who leads the Astrobiology and the sacred project.
  • 8 p.m., panel discussion featuring
    • Paul Ivey, art historian
    • Nick Woolf, LAPLACE Director and Steward Observatory Astronomer
    • Chris Impey, Steward Observatory Astronomer
    • Jennifer Jenkins, media arts faculty
•  Thursday, Sept. 20: The concert
  • Performances start at 7:30 p.m.  Location:  Steve Eller Dance Theater, 1737 E. University Blvd
  •  "Ceili" and "Northern Lights," performed by Harp Fusion, the largest touring harp ensemble in the world, with Carrol McLaughlin directing.
• "Astrobiology and the Ocean of Life," a multi-media presentation by Richard Poss, astronomy
• "Fire of Life," Rick Warmer, School of Dance
• "Pointing out Your Ruse," a 2005 work commissioned by the Astrobiology and the Arts program and composed by UA faculty member Craig Walsh. The piece was written for -- and will be performed by -- violinist Mark Rush and percussionist Norman Weinberg of the UA School of Music.
• "Evolution," Rick Wamer, School of Dance

 

August, 2007

Congratulations Maggie Turnbull

• Maggie Turnbull has been named by CNN as one of the "Geniuses who will change your life". In a recent article published by CNN Maggie's work in astrobiology was noted and praised. [Link]

Fall 2007 Astrobiology Lunch Series begins -- Thursday, August 16

• Alan P Boss, Carnegie Institution of Washington invited speaker Thursday, August 16 at 12:30 pm in N505 Steward Observatory, Title: "A Heretic's Approach to Solar System Formation"

Register Now! UA Astrochemistry Course

• ASTR 588a, CHEM 588a, PTYS 588a

  • Tues / Thurs 11 am - 12:15 pm, Professor N Woolf

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July, 2007

Newly Developed Astrobiology Society

• Astrobiology Society: The organizing principles of an international professional society to support the global astrobiology community will be introduced at the 2007 NAI-Bioastronomy Conference being held July 16-20 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Brochure [page 1] [page 2]

 

June, 2007

Nature 28 June 2007, Vol 447 Number 7148

Letters:

Chemical complexity in the winds of the oxygen-rich supergiant star VY Canis Majoris [p.1094]

News and Views:

Astronomy:  A new molecular factory by Sun Kwok [Link]

Authors:

Making the paper:  Lucy Ziurys [Link]

 

The flow as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. The blue arrow shows the slight deviation of the “squirt” flow from the direction towards us. The curved nebulous tail (CNT) and red arrow shows the fan of material directed away from us and to the side, and the white arrows and transparent circle show the general spherical flow of matter outward. 

 

 

 

Article Authors:
Lucy Ziurys         Office: 520-621-6525          Email:  lziurys@as.arizona.edu
Stefanie Milam    Office: 520-626-5256          Email:  smilam@as.arizona.edu
Aldo Apponi        Office:  520-621-2553          Email:  aapponi@as.arizona.edu
Nick Woolf          Office:  520-621-3234          Email:  nwoolf@as.arizona.edu

 

PRESS RELEASE: Elements of Earth and Life Found in Outflow of Giant Star

Tucson, AZ:  Scientists from The University of Arizona have discovered a variety of molecules emanating from the red supergiant star VY Canis Majoris (“Vycki”), including the silicon element of Earth and all the key elements of life, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur..

Stars are part of a grand cosmic cycle wherein matter is created, transformed, and recycled.  Material is created within a star and eventually ejected outward as the star grows old and ultimately dies.  That matter can become the stuff of new solar systems, and may even end up in life forms.  Detailed study of Vycki’s chemical output shows it uniquely contributes to the resources available to the next generation of stars and planets.  The scientists’ work will appear in the June 28th issue of the journal Nature.

Contextual Quote:  “This work furthers our understanding of how the chemistry of stars may be woven into the thread of life in the universe,” said Carl Pilcher, Director of the NASA  Astrobiology Institute which co-funded the study.

AUTHOR’S QUOTES HERE…

Vycki is a huge, active star about 5,000 light years away.  Its surface is about the size of the orbit of Jupiter, and it blows matter into space at an amazingly fast rate. In a million years, an astronomical eye-blink, it will be gone.  Although much cooler than our sun, Vycki’s surface is still the temperature of an electric light bulb filament.

Vycki’s outer shell is oxygen-rich, making it part of a group of stars that have been poorly studied even though the majority of interstellar matter is thought to originate from them.  The study revealed a variety of unexpected chemical compounds in the star, including NaCl (table salt), PN, HNC, and HCO+, demonstrating a remarkable chemical diversity relative to its carbon-rich counterparts.

The scientists observed the material emanating from the star in three distinct flows, each with a unique chemical composition.  These findings are supported by prior imaging studies of Vycki by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The observations were made with radio telescopes on Kitt Peak and Mt. Graham, Arizona. The researchers collaborated with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which needed to test a new, highly-sensitive radio receiver. Vycki proved a worthy subject.

The paper is co-authored by Lucy Ziurys, Stefanie Milam, Aldo Apponi and Nick Woolf, from the Chemistry and Astronomy Departments of The University of Arizona.  All are members of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI).  The NAI, founded in 1997, is a partnership between NASA and 16 major U.S. teams and five international consortia. NAI's goal is to promote, conduct and lead integrated multidisciplinary astrobiology research and to train a new generation of astrobiology researchers.

More News...

 

NASA Postdoctoral Program - [Link]

 

Astrobiology Graduate Conference Series (AbGradCon) - Get Involved [Link]

 

NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) Newsletter - [Archive]

 

Astrobiology Magazine [Link]

Astrobiology...an interdisciplinary science spanning the sciences of astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics, and related interdisciplinary areas. Its goal is to answer fundamental questions about the origins of life. How did terrestrial life arise and evolve? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? What is the future of life on Earth and beyond?