New Calculations Uncover a Vast Ocean Beneath Pluto’s Ice
Graduate student Alex Nguyen calculated the depth and density of the solar system’s most mysterious and remote body of water. New calculations by Alex Nguyen,…
Astrobiology News
Astrobiology is an interdisciplinary scientific field that studies the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. It combines elements of biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and astronomy to explore the possibility of life beyond Earth and the factors that support or hinder its existence. Astrobiologists investigate how life began on Earth, the environmental conditions that support life, and the potential habitability of other planets and moons within our solar system and beyond. This involves studying extreme environments on Earth where life thrives in harsh conditions, analyzing the composition of meteorites and cosmic dust, and searching for biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets. The field has gained momentum with the discovery of numerous exoplanets and missions to Mars and icy moons like Europa and Enceladus, where conditions may be right for life to exist. Astrobiology raises profound questions about the uniqueness of Earth and the potential for life in the cosmos, bridging scientific inquiry and philosophical considerations about our place in the universe.
NASA Experiment Reveals: Life Signs Could Survive Near Surfaces of Enceladus and Europa
NASA researchers have found that amino acids, potential indicators of life, could survive near the surface of Europa and Enceladus, moons of Jupiter and Saturn…
Perseverance Triumphs: How SHERLOC Was Brought Back to Life on Mars
After six months of effort, an instrument that helps NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover look for potential signs of ancient microbial life has come back online….
Searching for Signs of Advanced Civilizations: Interstellar Detectives Trace Alien Terraforming
In the quest to uncover extraterrestrial life, researchers have identified telltale greenhouse gases that could indicate advanced alien civilizations are actively terraforming distant planets. The…
Did the Webb Telescope Find Alien Life on Exoplanet K2-18b? Here’s What We Know
Recent research finds claims of biosignature gas detection were premature. Recent reports of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope finding signs of life on a distant…
Interstellar Peptides Point to Extraterrestrial Origin of Life’s Building Blocks
Peptides can form on cosmic dust despite water presence, challenging previous beliefs and suggesting a possible extraterrestrial origin for life’s building blocks. Peptides are organic…
Cambridge Scientists Unveil New Theory on Origins of Life’s Building Blocks
Researchers at Cambridge University propose that essential molecules for life’s development might have originated from a process called graphitization. If confirmed through laboratory experiments, this…
Comet Geyser Biosignature Bonanza: NASA Perseverance Mars Rover’s 21st Rock Core
The recent acquisition of Perseverance’s 21st core sample, Comet Geyser, from Bunsen Peak reveals significant geological interest due to its composition of carbonate and silica—key…
Scientists Turn to Venus in the Search for Alien Life
Similar to Earth but incapable of sustaining life. Despite surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead, lava-spewing volcanoes, and puffy clouds of sulfuric acid, uninhabitable…
Scientists Discover Potential Interstellar Origins of Life on Earth
Prior to the emergence of life on Earth, essential chemistry was necessary to create organic molecules from the elemental building blocks of nitrogen, sulfur, carbon,…
The Color of Alien Life: Could Purple Be the New Green?
In the quest to discover life beyond our planet, the traditional green color commonly linked with terrestrial life might not be the most reliable sign….
From Sci-Fi to Reality: Yale Study Points to a More Livable Tatooine
Luke Skywalker’s childhood might have been slightly less harsh if he’d grown up on a more temperate Tatooine — like the ones identified in a…
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Hits the Mark – “This Is the Kind of Rock We Had Hoped To Find”
The 24th sample taken by the six-wheeled scientist offers new clues about Jezero Crater and the lake it may have once held. Analysis by instruments…
Three Years Later, the Search for Life on Mars Continues
In the three years since NASA’s Perseverance rover touched down on Mars, the NASA science team has made the daily task of investigating the red…
Yale Study Unveils Asteroid Strikes As Possible Trigger for Earth’s Ice Ages
Recent research argues that asteroid impacts may have triggered widespread ice ages in Earth’s ancient history. A Yale-led research team has picked a side in…
Chilling Revelations: Ice Shells Expose Alien Ocean Temperatures
A novel method by Cornell scientists uses ice shell thickness to predict ocean temperatures on distant moons, offering new insights into their potential for life….
Unlocking the Building Blocks of Life With NASA’s Bennu Samples
Scientists now have access to detailed information on Bennu asteroid samples, enabling them to conduct research on these materials which may contain the building blocks…
Astrobiological Breakthrough: Detecting Life in the Ice Grains of Outer Moons
Research on ice grains from moons like Enceladus and Europa shows potential for detecting signs of life, paving the way for upcoming space missions with…