New Findings Suggest Venus Never Had Oceans, Conditions Needed for Life
Astrophysicists led by the UNIGE and the NCCR PlanetS have investigated the past of Venus to find out whether Earth’s sister planet once had oceans….
Astrobiology
We Asked a NASA Scientist: Is Mars Habitable? [Video]
Is Mars habitable? Could ancient life once have existed on the Red Planet? Is there potential for life today deep beneath the Martian crust? Ell…
NASA’s Mars Perseverance “Kodiak” Moment – Jezero Crater’s Lake Is More Complicated and Intriguing Than Thought
Pictures from NASA’s latest six-wheeler on the Red Planet suggest the area’s history experienced significant flooding events. A new paper from the science team of…
Isotope Analysis Reveals a Fundamental Reason Why Mars Has No Liquid Water on Its Surface Today
Water is essential for life on Earth and other planets, and scientists have found ample evidence of water in Mars’ early history. But Mars has…
We Asked a NASA Scientist: Could Microbes Survive a Trip to Mars? [Video]
Could Earth-based microbes survive a trip to Mars? Yes! That’s why we made sure NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover met cleanliness requirements before leaving our home…
Astrophysicists Identify “Significant Reservoirs” of Organic Molecules Necessary To Form the Basis of Life
Analysis of unique fingerprints in light emitted from material surrounding young stars has revealed “significant reservoirs” of large organic molecules necessary to form the basis…
A Big Step Forward in the Search for Alien Life: New Class of Exoplanet Very Different to Our Own
A new class of exoplanet very different to our own, but which could support life, has been identified by astronomers, which could greatly accelerate the…
Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration Mission Will Return a Sample From Mars’ Moon Phobos
The role of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission in the new era of Martian life exploration. The surface of the Martian moon, Phobos, is…
In Search of Planets That Support Life: “Cool” Stars in the Cosmos May Not Be So Unique
Rice models infer small stars share similar dynamics to our sun, key to planet habitability. Stars scattered throughout the cosmos look different, but they may…
Astronomers Find Small Rocky Planet – Just Half the Mass of Venus
A team of astronomers has used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) in Chile to shed new light on planets around a…
Complex Molecules Could Hold the Secret to Identifying Alien Life – And Creating New Forms of Life in the Lab
Complex Molecules Could Hold the Secret to Identifying Alien Life A new system capable of identifying complex molecular signatures could aid in the search for…
Signs of Martian Life? NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover Begins the Hunt!
After testing a bristling array of instruments on its robotic arm, NASA’s latest Mars rover gets down to business: probing rocks and dust for evidence…
Surface of Jupiter’s Moon Europa Churned by Small Impacts – May Currently Have Conditions Suitable for Life
Jupiter’s moon Europa and its global ocean may currently have conditions suitable for life. Scientists are studying processes on the icy surface as they prepare…
Rare 4.5 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Could Hold Secrets to Life on Earth
Scientists are set to uncover the secrets of a rare meteorite and possibly the origins of oceans and life on Earth, thanks to Science and…
Goldilocks Planets “With a Tilt” Like Earth Are More Capable of Evolving Complex Life
Planets which are tilted on their axis, like Earth, are more capable of evolving complex life. This finding will help scientists refine the search for…
Possible Signs of Alien Life? Methane in the Plumes of Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
A study published in Nature Astronomy concludes that known geochemical processes can’t explain the levels of methane measured by the Cassini spacecraft on Saturn’s icy…
Moons of Free-Floating Planets Can Possess Enough Water for Life to Evolve and Thrive
The moons of planets that have no parent star can possess an atmosphere and retain liquid water. Astrophysicists at LMU have calculated that such systems…
Like a Ghost: Scientists Closer to Explaining Exciting Mars Methane Mystery
Why do some science instruments detect the gas on the Red Planet while others don’t? Reports of methane detections at Mars have captivated scientists and…