Will Astronomers Know ‘Alien’ Life When They See It?
In the last decade we have discovered thousands of planets outside our solar system and have learned that rocky, temperate worlds are numerous in our…
Astrobiology
Image of the Day – ARADS Rover Under the Milky Way
The Moon begins to rise behind the ARADS rover during the 2017 season of field tests in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The Milky Way is visible…
Could Alien Civilizations Help Predict the Fate of Our Planet?
In the face of climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss, creating a sustainable version of civilization is one of humanity’s most urgent tasks. But when…
Atmospheric Seasonal Changes Could Signal Alien Life on Exoplanets
UCR researchers are using seasonal changes in the Earth’s atmosphere to guide their search for life outside the solar system. Dozens of potentially habitable planets…
Toxic Volcanic Lake Microbes Could Hold Clues to Life on Mars
Researchers at CU Boulder have discovered microbes living in a toxic volcanic lake that may rank as one of the harshest environments on Earth. Their…
Stardust and Radiation Could Lead to Complex Biomolecule Forms
New research offers evidence that humans — and the rest of life on Earth — may have been able to form with the right combination…
The Clouds of Venus Could Have Conditions Conducive to Microbial Life
In the search for extraterrestrial life, scientists have turned over all sorts of rocks. Mars, for example, has geological features that suggest it once had…
Giant Impact Explains Unusual Amount of Noble Metals on Mars
New research has revealed that a giant impact on Mars more than four billion years ago would explain the unusual amount of “iron loving” elements…
Astrochemists Discover How to Use Methanol to Measure Magnetic Fields in Space
A team of scientists, led by Boy Lankhaar at Chalmers University of Technology, has solved an important puzzle in astrochemistry: how to measure magnetic fields…
New Techniques to Detect Microorganisms in Extreme Environments Like Mars
Researchers demonstrate for the first time the potential of existing technology to directly detect and characterize life on Mars and other planets. The study, published…
Astrobiologists Show How a ‘Methane Blanket’ Can Keep an Exoplanet Warm
Somewhere in our galaxy, an exoplanet is probably orbiting a star that’s colder than our sun, but instead of freezing solid, the planet might be…
Discovery Helps Researchers Understand How Life May Survive on Other Planets
Three new studies by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) scientists have identified key factors that help microbes survive in harsh environments. The results,…
Biologists Reveal How Long Microorganisms Can Live on Mars
Scientists at the Lomonosov Moscow State University reveal the resistance microorganisms have against gamma radiation in very low temperatures. Average temperature on Mars is -63…
NASA Study Shows Change in Water ‘Fingerprint’ of Comet Lovejoy
A new study suggests that a trip past the sun may have selectively altered the production of one form of water in a comet. Astronomers…
‘Marsquakes’ Provide a Potential Microbial Energy Source on Mars
New research from Yale University shows that rocks formed by the grinding together of other rocks during earthquakes are rich in trapped hydrogen — a…
Study Suggests Habitable Zone Alone Isn’t Sufficient to Support Life
New research from Yale University suggests that simply being in the habitable zone isn’t sufficient to support life. A planet also must start with an…
New Research Identifies Possible Sites of Frozen, Watery Deposits on Europa
A new study suggests that compounds that might be indicative of life may be located within the scarred, jumbled areas that make up Europa’s so-called…
Protective Magnetic Fields Increase the Chance for Life on Earth-Like Planets
A new study from the the University of Washington details how Earth-like planets orbiting close to small stars may have magnetic fields that protect them…