ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft has discovered several ponds of liquid water buried under the ice…
Browsing: Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the interdisciplinary science dedicated to exploring the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. It combines insights from astronomy, biology, chemistry, planetary science, and geology to investigate fundamental questions such as how life began on Earth, whether it exists elsewhere, and what conditions are necessary for it to thrive. From studying extreme environments on our planet to analyzing data from Mars rovers and distant exoplanets, astrobiologists are pushing the boundaries of our understanding of life’s potential beyond Earth. This page highlights the latest discoveries, missions, and research in the rapidly growing field of astrobiology.
Considering what we know about the key ingredients for life’s formation on Earth, here are…
PIXL, an instrument on the end of the Perseverance rover’s arm, will search for chemical…
Although Earth is uniquely situated in the solar system to support creatures that call it…
Stellar chemical compositions used as proxy for potentially habitable systems. A Southwest Research Institute scientist…
Update (January 28, 2021): New research indicates it was ordinary sulfur dioxide that was detected, rather than…
A radio telescope in outback Western Australia has completed the deepest and broadest search at…
[On Monday, scientific research was published showing phosphine, a possible signature of life, present in…
When stars like our sun die, all that remains is an exposed core – a…
Update (January 28, 2021): New research indicates it was ordinary sulfur dioxide that was detected,…
An international team of astronomers today announced the discovery of a rare molecule — phosphine…
Update (January 28, 2021): New research indicates it was ordinary sulfur dioxide that was detected,…
Scientists confirm the presence of acetonitrile in a distant interstellar gas cloud using a radio…
Tanpopo mission addresses the possibility of natural interplanetary transport of microbial life called panspermia. Imagine…
Our solar system has one habitable planet — Earth. A new study shows other stars…
All the chemical elements in the universe, except for hydrogen and most of the helium,…
A rover expected to explore below the surface of Mars in 2022 has the potential…
The immune systems of mammals – including humans – might struggle to detect and respond…