Prof. Abel Méndez
@profabelmendez.bsky.social
Planetary Astrobiologist and Director of the
@PlanetaryHabLab. http://astrodon.social/@profabelmendez #exoplanets #astrobiology #habitability
@PlanetaryHabLab. http://astrodon.social/@profabelmendez #exoplanets #astrobiology #habitability
Pinned
New Study Narrows the Hunt for the Source of the Mysterious 1977 “Wow! Signal” phl.upr.edu/wow #AreciboWow #Astrophysics #SETI #WowSignal
Toward Process-Driven Research in Astrobiology: Stepping Away from the Binary Biogenicity Versus Abiogenicity Approach | Astrobiology www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Toward Process-Driven Research in Astrobiology: Stepping Away from the Binary Biogenicity Versus Abiogenicity Approach | Astrobiology
Biological activity has shaped environments across Earth with varying degrees of impact throughout geological time, which complicates efforts to distinguish signs of life in preserved structures.…
www.liebertpub.com
November 28, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Toward Process-Driven Research in Astrobiology: Stepping Away from the Binary Biogenicity Versus Abiogenicity Approach | Astrobiology www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Are aliens real? Do aliens exist? Technosignatures may hold new clues www.rochester.edu/newscenter/t...
Are aliens real? Do aliens exist? Technosignatures may hold new clues
Astrophysicist Adam Frank is seeking "technosignatures," or the signs of advanced civilizations, to answer the question, do aliens exist.
www.rochester.edu
November 27, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Are aliens real? Do aliens exist? Technosignatures may hold new clues www.rochester.edu/newscenter/t...
Projections of Earth's Technosphere: Strategies for Observing Technosignatures on Terrestrial Exoplanets arxiv.org/abs/2511.20329
Projections of Earth's Technosphere: Strategies for Observing Technosignatures on Terrestrial Exoplanets
The search for technosignatures -- remotely detectable evidence of extraterrestrial technology -- draws upon examples from the recent history of Earth as well as projections of Earth's technosphere.…
arxiv.org
November 27, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Projections of Earth's Technosphere: Strategies for Observing Technosignatures on Terrestrial Exoplanets arxiv.org/abs/2511.20329
Evidence and traces of extraterrestrial life | International Journal of Astrobiology | Cambridge Core www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Evidence and traces of extraterrestrial life | International Journal of Astrobiology | Cambridge Core
Evidence and traces of extraterrestrial life - Volume 24
www.cambridge.org
November 26, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Evidence and traces of extraterrestrial life | International Journal of Astrobiology | Cambridge Core www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
Monday, December 1, marks the fifth anniversary of the collapse of the Arecibo telescope. The ASAP has organized two short talks on the history of the Arecibo Observatory, followed by news and updates. The event begins at 12:30 PM EST. DM for the Zoom link. #AreciboObservatory
November 26, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Monday, December 1, marks the fifth anniversary of the collapse of the Arecibo telescope. The ASAP has organized two short talks on the history of the Arecibo Observatory, followed by news and updates. The event begins at 12:30 PM EST. DM for the Zoom link. #AreciboObservatory
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
The more I learn about the Roman Space Telescope, the more excited I am about the mission. Roman will observer #exoplanets and their host stars (and more). How can you not be excited?!
(That's assuming that the Trump administration doesn't cancel the mission.)
🧪
www.space.com/space-explor...
(That's assuming that the Trump administration doesn't cancel the mission.)
🧪
www.space.com/space-explor...
NASA's next-gen Roman Space Telescope is surprising scientists with its capabilities. It hasn't even launched yet
"Asteroseismology with Roman is possible because we don't need to ask the telescope to do anything it wasn't already planning to do."
www.space.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:56 PM
The more I learn about the Roman Space Telescope, the more excited I am about the mission. Roman will observer #exoplanets and their host stars (and more). How can you not be excited?!
(That's assuming that the Trump administration doesn't cancel the mission.)
🧪
www.space.com/space-explor...
(That's assuming that the Trump administration doesn't cancel the mission.)
🧪
www.space.com/space-explor...
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
A holiday gift for #exoplanets Chrome users: how to set up the coolest exoplanet shortcut ever.
Click the three-dot menu in the upper right -> Settings -> Search Engine -> Manage search engines and site search.
Scroll to site search and click Add. Fill like this and save:
(1/2)
Click the three-dot menu in the upper right -> Settings -> Search Engine -> Manage search engines and site search.
Scroll to site search and click Add. Fill like this and save:
(1/2)
November 26, 2025 at 9:28 PM
A holiday gift for #exoplanets Chrome users: how to set up the coolest exoplanet shortcut ever.
Click the three-dot menu in the upper right -> Settings -> Search Engine -> Manage search engines and site search.
Scroll to site search and click Add. Fill like this and save:
(1/2)
Click the three-dot menu in the upper right -> Settings -> Search Engine -> Manage search engines and site search.
Scroll to site search and click Add. Fill like this and save:
(1/2)
Monday, December 1, marks the fifth anniversary of the collapse of the Arecibo telescope. The ASAP has organized two short talks on the history of the Arecibo Observatory, followed by news and updates. The event begins at 12:30 PM EST. DM for the Zoom link. #AreciboObservatory
November 26, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Monday, December 1, marks the fifth anniversary of the collapse of the Arecibo telescope. The ASAP has organized two short talks on the history of the Arecibo Observatory, followed by news and updates. The event begins at 12:30 PM EST. DM for the Zoom link. #AreciboObservatory
The ‘Lost Sisters’ of the Pleiades Fill the Entire Night Sky
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:24 PM
The ‘Lost Sisters’ of the Pleiades Fill the Entire Night Sky
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
If your planet's not too big, and your transit spectrum is flatter than you'd think, your aerosols might be clumpy.
Owen+ arxiv.org/abs/2511.19013
🧪🔭🪐 #exoplanets
Owen+ arxiv.org/abs/2511.19013
🧪🔭🪐 #exoplanets
Resolving the flat-spectrum conundrum: clumpy aerosol distributions in sub-Neptune atmospheres
Transmission spectroscopy of sub-Neptunes was expected to reveal their compositions and hence origins, yet many show flat near- to mid-infrared spectra. Such spectra can be explained either by metal d...
arxiv.org
November 25, 2025 at 8:32 AM
If your planet's not too big, and your transit spectrum is flatter than you'd think, your aerosols might be clumpy.
Owen+ arxiv.org/abs/2511.19013
🧪🔭🪐 #exoplanets
Owen+ arxiv.org/abs/2511.19013
🧪🔭🪐 #exoplanets
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
And here’s myself with the old bread and butter: 🧵 bsky.app/profile/astr... #exoplanets
November 25, 2025 at 6:33 PM
And here’s myself with the old bread and butter: 🧵 bsky.app/profile/astr... #exoplanets
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
A very exciting paper by Kral et al. on “Exomoon search with VLTI/GRAVITY around the substellar companion HD 206893 B” using astrometric measurements of the companion to search for a putative #exomoon. Half a Jupiter mass at 0.22 au maaaaybe? We’re getting closer! #astrodon #astrosci #exoplanets
November 26, 2025 at 8:52 AM
A very exciting paper by Kral et al. on “Exomoon search with VLTI/GRAVITY around the substellar companion HD 206893 B” using astrometric measurements of the companion to search for a putative #exomoon. Half a Jupiter mass at 0.22 au maaaaybe? We’re getting closer! #astrodon #astrosci #exoplanets
published www.space.com/space-explor...
Planets may make their own water as they form — could that mean more habitable worlds in the universe?
Planets may make their own water as they form — could that mean more habitable worlds in the universe?
www.space.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:39 PM
published www.space.com/space-explor...
Five ways Caleb Scharf’s "The Giant Leap" might rewire how you think about life carnegiescience.edu/five-ways-ca...
Five ways Caleb Scharf’s "The Giant Leap" might rewire how you think about life
At a recent Neighborhood Lecture, NASA astrobiologist Caleb Scharf invited audiences to see space exploration not as a race to new worlds, but as biology in motion—life extending its reach beyond…
carnegiescience.edu
November 25, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Five ways Caleb Scharf’s "The Giant Leap" might rewire how you think about life carnegiescience.edu/five-ways-ca...
New observations suggest Mars’ south pole lacks lake beneath the ice - Planetary Science Institute www.psi.edu/blog/new-obs...
New observations suggest Mars’ south pole lacks lake beneath the ice - Planetary Science Institute
Nov. 25, 2025, TUCSON, Ariz. – A new study published in Geophysical Research Letters casts doubt on a 2018 discovery of a briny lake potentially lurking
www.psi.edu
November 25, 2025 at 7:13 PM
New observations suggest Mars’ south pole lacks lake beneath the ice - Planetary Science Institute www.psi.edu/blog/new-obs...
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
Hard to believe it's already been 2 years since the ngVLA prototype antenna was first unveiled at mtex in Germany!
Since then, the panels have been installed, the dish lifted onto its pedestal, and the antenna was officially handed over to the NRAO.
(1/2)
#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #ngVLA
Since then, the panels have been installed, the dish lifted onto its pedestal, and the antenna was officially handed over to the NRAO.
(1/2)
#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #ngVLA
November 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Hard to believe it's already been 2 years since the ngVLA prototype antenna was first unveiled at mtex in Germany!
Since then, the panels have been installed, the dish lifted onto its pedestal, and the antenna was officially handed over to the NRAO.
(1/2)
#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #ngVLA
Since then, the panels have been installed, the dish lifted onto its pedestal, and the antenna was officially handed over to the NRAO.
(1/2)
#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #ngVLA
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
The Green Bank Observatory invites the scientific community to submit Special Call proposals for filler-time observations on the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) during the 25B and 26A semesters.
Submission Deadline: Friday, November 28, 2025, at 22:00 UTC
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #GreenBankTelescope
Submission Deadline: Friday, November 28, 2025, at 22:00 UTC
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #GreenBankTelescope
Special Call for GBT Filler-Time Proposals
Special Call for GBT 25B-26A Filler Time Proposals The Green Bank Observatory (GBO) invites the scientific community to submit Special Call proposals for filler-time observations on the Green Bank…
greenbankobservatory.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:27 PM
The Green Bank Observatory invites the scientific community to submit Special Call proposals for filler-time observations on the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) during the 25B and 26A semesters.
Submission Deadline: Friday, November 28, 2025, at 22:00 UTC
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #GreenBankTelescope
Submission Deadline: Friday, November 28, 2025, at 22:00 UTC
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #GreenBankTelescope
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
🧪🔭⭐ #exoplanets #exoplanet #youngplanets
New paper from our group and @madysonbarber.bsky.social today!
We report a brand-new planet around a <50 Myr star—adding to a very small (but rapidly growing!) population of the youngest known transiting planets.
Paper: arxiv.org/pdf/2511.10734
New paper from our group and @madysonbarber.bsky.social today!
We report a brand-new planet around a <50 Myr star—adding to a very small (but rapidly growing!) population of the youngest known transiting planets.
Paper: arxiv.org/pdf/2511.10734
arxiv.org
November 19, 2025 at 2:43 PM
🧪🔭⭐ #exoplanets #exoplanet #youngplanets
New paper from our group and @madysonbarber.bsky.social today!
We report a brand-new planet around a <50 Myr star—adding to a very small (but rapidly growing!) population of the youngest known transiting planets.
Paper: arxiv.org/pdf/2511.10734
New paper from our group and @madysonbarber.bsky.social today!
We report a brand-new planet around a <50 Myr star—adding to a very small (but rapidly growing!) population of the youngest known transiting planets.
Paper: arxiv.org/pdf/2511.10734
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
Friday HSLA spectrum! My friend Beta Pictoris, first star to have its debris disk imaged and including STIS data I worked on as an undergrad, eleven programs in all. It has two planetary companions more massive than #Jupiter #astrosci #exoplanets 🔭
November 21, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Friday HSLA spectrum! My friend Beta Pictoris, first star to have its debris disk imaged and including STIS data I worked on as an undergrad, eleven programs in all. It has two planetary companions more massive than #Jupiter #astrosci #exoplanets 🔭
Maybe That’s Not Liquid Water on Mars After All - Eos eos.org/research-spo...
Maybe That’s Not Liquid Water on Mars After All - Eos
A “very large roll” of a radar instrument offers new insight into a highly reflective area near the Martian south pole.
eos.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Maybe That’s Not Liquid Water on Mars After All - Eos eos.org/research-spo...
It’s amazing that comet #3IAtlas has wandered the Galaxy for billions of years, untouched and unnoticed, until it finally brushed past our Sun. I can’t help wondering where its journey will take it next, and what will have become of Earth by then. 😌
November 21, 2025 at 3:17 PM
It’s amazing that comet #3IAtlas has wandered the Galaxy for billions of years, untouched and unnoticed, until it finally brushed past our Sun. I can’t help wondering where its journey will take it next, and what will have become of Earth by then. 😌
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
A 10-minute animation of all the Ohio SETI data recorded on the day the Wow! Signal was detected. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuin... #radioastronomy #astrophysics #SETI #AreciboWow
The Day We Recorded the Wow! Signal
Nearly half a century after its discovery, the Wow! Signal, detected by the Ohio State University SETI program on August 15, 1977, remains one of the most intriguing mysteries in radio astronomy.…
www.youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:59 AM
A 10-minute animation of all the Ohio SETI data recorded on the day the Wow! Signal was detected. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuin... #radioastronomy #astrophysics #SETI #AreciboWow
A 10-minute animation of all the Ohio SETI data recorded on the day the Wow! Signal was detected. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuin... #radioastronomy #astrophysics #SETI #AreciboWow
The Day We Recorded the Wow! Signal
Nearly half a century after its discovery, the Wow! Signal, detected by the Ohio State University SETI program on August 15, 1977, remains one of the most intriguing mysteries in radio astronomy.…
www.youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:59 AM
A 10-minute animation of all the Ohio SETI data recorded on the day the Wow! Signal was detected. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuin... #radioastronomy #astrophysics #SETI #AreciboWow
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
Our special November issue, celebrating 30 years of exoplanets, is now here! https://bit.ly/483MH9I
#astronomy #exoplanets
#astronomy #exoplanets
November 18, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Our special November issue, celebrating 30 years of exoplanets, is now here! https://bit.ly/483MH9I
#astronomy #exoplanets
#astronomy #exoplanets
Reposted by Prof. Abel Méndez
All week I'm going to post some cool spectra from the new Hubble Spectroscopic Archive! First up, PDS 70, a star that hosts a protoplanetary disk and at least one planetary companion in a disk gap! #exoplanets #astrosci 🔭
November 18, 2025 at 3:19 PM
All week I'm going to post some cool spectra from the new Hubble Spectroscopic Archive! First up, PDS 70, a star that hosts a protoplanetary disk and at least one planetary companion in a disk gap! #exoplanets #astrosci 🔭