Astronomers Develop New Method of Gauging the Atmospheric Pressure of Exoplanets
With the aid of computer simulations of the chemistry of Earth’s own atmosphere that isolate what are called “dimer molecules,” astronomers developed a new method…
Astrobiology
Scientists Discover Evidence of Water in Martian Meteorite
NASA scientists have discovered evidence of past water movement throughout a Martian meteorite known as Yamato 000593. A team of scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space…
Online Database Tracks Organic Nano-Particles Across the Universe
New updates to the PAH Infrared Spectroscopic Database allow scientists to map the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and track its role across the universe….
New Technique to Search Space Dust for Molecules Critical for Life
Researchers at Goddard’s Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory have developed a new technique to search space dust for molecules that are critical for life. While the origin…
Searching for Life on Earth-Like Planets May Be a Mistake, Need to Consider Superhabitable Planets
A newly published study states that searching for life on Earth-like planets may be a mistake and details why scientists need to consider non-Earth-like “superhabitable”…
Astrobiologists Search for Signs of Life on Dying Planets
Using computer models of the climates and biospheres, astrobiologists are researching how signs of life might look on dying planets. If life does exist anywhere…
Updated Theory Details How Biomolecules Were Able to Form Inside Asteroids
In a newly published study, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reexamine the unipolar induction mechanism for heating asteroids, detailing how biomolecules were once able to…
How to Distinguish Habitable Worlds Apart from Lifeless Gas Giants
A new study demonstrates how to distinguish between cloudy mini-Neptunes and volatile-dominated super-Earths based on the differences in the wing steepness and relative depths of…
Scientists Estimate Earth’s Remaining Habitable Lifetime, Examine Habitability of Exoplanets
By using habitable zone and stellar evolution models, astrobiologists from the University of East Anglia have estimated that habitable conditions on Earth will be possible…
Could Life on Earth Have Originated from Somewhere Else?
New research presented at the European Planetary Science Congress at UCL examines whether life forms would be able to survive an impact with the surface…
Quantum Tunneling Allows “Impossible” Chemical Reactions to Occur in Space
A team of scientists from the University of Leeds has discovered that chemical reactions once thought to be ‘impossible’ in the coldness of space can…
Planets Orbiting Cooler Stars May Be More Likely to Remain Ice Free
New climate model research from astronomers at the University of Washington suggests that planets orbiting cooler stars may be more likely to remain ice-free than…
Researchers Design a DNA Sequencing Microchip for Detecting Life on Mars
In a step toward analyzing Mars for signs of life, researchers from MIT, Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital are working on a DNA-sequencing microchip that…
Martian Meteorite Contains Chemical Implicated in the Origin of Life
A newly published study details the discovery of a high concentration of boron in a Martian meteorite that far exceeds that of any previously reported…
Study Maps the Chemistry Needed for Life on Jupiter’s Moon Europa
Using the Keck II Telescope, scientists analyzed data in the near-infrared range of light from Europa, finding that peroxide is widespread across much of the…
Physicists Look at the Conditions Necessary for Carbon-Based Life in the Universe
In a new study, physicists look at the conditions necessary for the formation of carbon and oxygen to form carbon-based life in the universe. Life…
New Data Suggests a Chemical Exchange Between Europa’s Ocean and Surface
Using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory, researchers have the best evidence yet that salty water from the liquid ocean beneath Europa’s frozen exterior…
Goddard Lab Researchers Study the Chemistry of Cosmic Ice
Goddard’s Cosmic Ice Lab is one of a few laboratories where researchers study the chemistry of cosmic ice, reproducing reactions in ice from almost any…