Finding Life Beyond Earth: What Comes Next? Feb. 6, 2024 The future is full of questions for us earthly life-forms. How far can we take our search for life elsewhere? And if we find life beyond Earth, how will it change us? Read more Image
A Super-Earth (and Possible Earth-Sized) Exoplanet Found in the Habitable Zone Feb. 5, 2024 Astronomers have found a new Super-Earth orbiting a red dwarf star about 137 light-years away. The planet is about 1.55 Earth’s radius and is inside the star’s habitable zone. Read more Image
The Implications of Oumuamua on the Panspermia Theory Feb. 2, 2024 If interstellar objects (ISOs) have been coming to Earth for billions of years, could it be that they brought the ingredients for life with them? Read more Image
Why Mars Died While Earth Survived Feb. 1, 2024 We know of Mars as the red planet, for its surface and atmosphere is caked in endless swirling dust of rusted iron, the rusting action provided by the always-eager oxygen. But this was not always so. Read more Image
Exploring the Galactic Habitable Zone Jan. 31, 2024 Our planet sits in the habitable zone of our sun, the special place where water can be liquid on the surface of a world. But that's not the only thing special about us. Read more Image
The Improbable Origins of Life on Earth Jan. 30, 2024 We do not yet know how, where, or why life first appeared on our planet. Part of the difficulty is that “life” has no strict, universally agreed-upon definition. Read more Image
New Research on Microbes Expands Known Limits for Life on Earth and Beyond Jan. 26, 2024 New research led by Stanford University scientists predicts life can persist in extremely salty environments, beyond the limit previously thought possible. Read more Image
New Study Suggests Some Forms of Life Could Exist in Venus’ Sulfuric Acid Clouds Jan. 25, 2024 A team of chemists and planetary scientists have found evidence that a form of life that uses sulfuric acid as a liquid medium could exist in some of the clouds covering Venus. Read more Image
Exoplanet Climate: It Takes Nothing to Switch from Habitable to Hell Jan. 11, 2024 The Earth is a wonderful blue and green dot covered with oceans and life, while Venus is a yellowish sterile sphere that is not only inhospitable but also sterile. However, the difference between the two is only a few degrees in temperature. Read more Image
Entropy Could be Key to a Planet’s Habitability Jan. 10, 2024 We all know that to have life on a world, you need three critical items: water, warmth, and food. Now add to that a factor called “entropy.” It plays a role in determining if a given planet can sustain and grow complex life. Read more Image