Clues to Martian Life? Organic Material Discovered in a Martian Meteorite
According to NASA, scientists are in agreement that there is no life on Mars. However, they continue to assess whether Mars ever had an environment…
Astrobiology
Astronomers Detect Pre-Biotic Molecule Glycolonitrile in Space
Heterocyclic molecules are those containing atoms of at least two different elements (plus hydrogen) arranged in a ring structure. Nitrogen heterocycles are key components in…
Scientists Create DNA-Like Molecule to Search for Alien Life
In a research breakthrough funded by NASA, scientists have synthesized a molecular system that, like DNA, can store and transmit information. This unprecedented feat suggests…
ALMA Reveals Complex Organic Molecules Around a Young Star
Astronomers using ALMA have detected various complex organic molecules around the young star V883 Ori. A sudden outburst from this star is releasing molecules from…
New Research Suggests That Sugar Molecules Exist in Deep Space
When we think of sugar, it’s in the form of a holiday sweet or a reason to head back to gym after New Year’s Eve…
Phosphorus Condensed Inside Asteroids in the Outer Solar System
New research shows that phosphorus, which is vital to life but somewhat rare, condensed inside asteroids in the outer Solar System before moving back towards…
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…
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,…