First Evidence of Bio-Essential Sugars in Meteorites
Sugar Delivered to Earth From Space Researchers from Tohoku University, Hokkaido University, JAMSTEC, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center investigated meteorites and found ribose and…
Astrobiology
Depleted Organic Matter in Banded Iron Formations Provides Clues for Extraterrestrial Life Biosignatures
Examining how banded iron formations (BIFs) became depleted in organic matter. A new study supported in part by the NASA Astrobiology program is providing details…
Sulfur and the Emergence of the First Life on Earth
Mapping the bonds and vibrational modes of molecules containing sulfur isotopes is helping to shed light on the chemical reactions that took place in Earth’s…
NASA Aquatic Rover, Designed to Search for Alien Life, Goes for a Drive Under the Ice
A little robotic explorer will be rolling into Antarctica this month to perform a gymnastic feat — driving upside down under sea ice. BRUIE, or…
Photos Show Evidence of Life on Mars: Insect- and Reptile-Like Fossils & Living Creatures
[Update 11/29/19: Ohio University has withdrawn this article.] Analysis of images from Mars rovers shows insect- and reptile-like fossils, creatures according to Ohio University entomologist….
New Clues to Origin of Life on Earth From Meteorite Discovery
An international team has found sugars essential to life in meteorites. The new discovery adds to the growing list of biologically important compounds that have…
High-Performance Camera to Help Detect Extraterrestrial Life, Dark Matter Can Count Single Photons
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made one of the highest-performance cameras ever composed of sensors that count single photons,…
“They’re out There” – Exoplanet Axis Study Boosts Hopes of Complex Life
“They’re out there,” goes a saying about extraterrestrials. It would seem more likely to be true in light of a new study on planetary axis…
Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life Takes Mars Scientists on Expedition to Australia
As any geologist worth his or her salt will tell you, there are rocks, and then there are rocks. Next July, NASA and the European…
NASA Astrobiology Has Discovered a Ring of Material Around Star HD 191098
Researchers supported in part by the NASA Astrobiology Program have discovered a ring of material around the star HD 191098 that resembles our solar system’s…
NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover Will Hunt for Evidence of Life on Mars in Microscopic Fossils
Scientists with NASA’s Mars 2020 rover have discovered what may be one of the best places to look for signs of ancient life in Jezero…
Mineral That Could Preserve Signs of Past Life Spotted at Future Mars Landing Spot
Using orbital instruments to peer into Jezero crater, the landing site for NASA’s Mars 2020 rover, researchers found deposits of hydrated silica, a mineral that’s…
Subzero Arctic Water Provides Peek at Possible Life on Other Worlds
In recent years, the idea of life on other planets has become less far-fetched. NASA announced June 27 that it will send a vehicle to…
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…
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…