Recent activity from Planetary Science Journal (2026, vol. 7) features: Kirchoff, M. Marchi, S. Cochran, M. et al. Formation Age of Ernutet Crater, Ceres, and Implications for Origin of the Organics 40 ae3568Braga, L. Amarante, A. Ferreira, F. et al. … Read More »Note, Paper: PSJ Native or Aged
Wrapping up the big 2026 LPSC meeting: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2026/ https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2026/program/ See also: Part I and II Electronic Posters: Achondrites Cao F. et al. Mineralogy, Petrology, and Geochemistry of Ungrouped Achondrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 4587 [#1880] NWA 4587 is an ungrouped basaltic achondrite with… Read More »LPSC 2026- Part III
Not breaking news but a bit groundbreaking: in Nature Astronomy: Koga, T. Oba, Y. Takano, Y. et al. A complete set of canonical nucleobases in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu s41550-026-02791-z The big news is the discovery of all five… Read More »Note, Paper: Ryugu U-too Goo
It’s LPSC time. The 57th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference will be held (in the same Houston area) this March 16-20: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2026/ Really, the LPSC is the big meeting of the annual calendar in this field. This year, there are… Read More »LPSC 2026- Part I
The Meteoritics & Planetary Science issue for March (vol. 61 #3) is finally up: Dobrică, E. Krot, A. N. Brearley, A. J. Shock metamorphic effects in Itokawa phosphates: A comparison with megaregolith-derived meteorites Pg 351 .70102Seifert, L. B. Erickson, T.… Read More »Note, Paper: Merrillite/Apatite Return Flights Writeup
Almost missed this one… PNAS (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.) covers mostly biochem and molecular bio, like many science publications. Those are fields with a lot going on now, so astro is rare. Rare, but not zero- in the Feb. issue… Read More »Note, Paper: Dual Amino Routes Seen
Time for the third International Online Conference on Universe (4-6 March, online of course): https://sciforum.net/event/IOCU2026 The word “Universe” means most of the meeting is not about asteroids, or even comets. Mostly it covers cosmology and physics, as expressed in i.… Read More »3rd International Online Conference on Universe (’26)
In the Nature parner journal Communications Chemistry (vol. 9): Fisher, T. Ferriere, R. Potential metabolic viability on asteroid chemistry 54 s42004-025-01860-0 How’s about an appetizer for alien appetites (or not). In this research report, Fisher et al. describe their investigations… Read More »Note, Paper: Meteoritic Metabolic ‘Scripts
Now up: a lecture, available online, about petrologic Type 1 meteorites and other astromaterials: https://meteoritical.org/society/ed-scott-lecture-series The series, as you might have guessed, are in tribute to Dr. Ed Scott, who died in 2021. Scott was a published and celebrated meteoriticist… Read More »Type 1 Meteorite/Flights, Online…
The Meteoritics & Planetary Science for Feb (vol. 61 #2) is finally out, don’t ask me what’s the holdup: Lee, M. R. Glazer, J. Rapid terrestrial weathering of the CI1 carbonaceous chondrite find Oued Chebeika 002 p. 211 .70089Luther, R.… Read More »Note, Paper: Of Finds and Iron Mines