The great exoplanet debate
The Great Exoplanet Debate, hosted by Astrobiology Magazine during the recent 2012 Astrobiology Science Conference, is now available for viewing online.
May 14, 2012
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May 14, 2012
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Microbes go rafting on floating volcanic rocks
Volcanoes bring death and destruction, but out of the ashes life soon finds fertile ground. A unique experiment is sifting through floating debris from an ongoing volcanic event to see how microbes move in. ...
May 01, 2012
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Martian volcanic glass could be hotspot for life
Water may have played a role in forming plains of volcanic glass that spread across nearly a third of Mars. The discovery of this volcanic glass could steer scientists toward subglacial lakes where martian ...
Apr 26, 2012
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Bringing Mars back to Earth
The search for life should be an essential component of a sample return mission from Mars, according to a recent report examining the science behind such a venture.
Apr 20, 2012
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Impacts could be boon for subterranean life
An incoming asteroid is trouble whether you're a dinosaur or a Bruce Willis fan. But microbes living deep underground may actually welcome the news, according to a recent study of an ancient impact in the ...
Apr 16, 2012
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When stellar metallicity sparks planet formation
New research predicts the criteria needed for Earth-like planets to form around a star that have one-tenth the metallicity of our Sun. If researchers find small, rocky planets orbiting stars with lower metallicity, ...
Apr 10, 2012
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How deep must life hide to be safe on Europa?
Jupiter's icy moon is subject to constant and significant blasts of radiation. A new experiment attempts to determine how deep life must lay beneath the crust in order to survive. This will be important for ...
Mar 29, 2012
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O/OREOS nanosatellite success in orbit
NASA’s Organism/Organic Exposure to Orbital Stresses (O/OREOS) nanosatellite has successfully carried microorganisms to a high-inclination, low-Earth orbit and monitored the effects of the space environment ...
Mar 23, 2012
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Far-out photosynthesis
Photosynthesis maintains Earth's habitability for life as we know it, and shapes the way we search for habitable worlds around distant stars. Scientists have discovered a microbe that can use low-energy light ...
Mar 16, 2012
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Villain in disguise: Jupiter's role in impacts on Earth
Jupiter is often credited for shielding Earth from catastrophic asteroid and comet impacts. But new simulations of the influence of gas giant planets in solar systems casts doubt on Jupiter's reputation as ...
Mar 13, 2012
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Stars with dusty disks should harbor Earth-like worlds
Stars with disks of debris around them might be good targets to search for Earth-like planets, researchers say.
Mar 09, 2012
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O, Pioneers! (part 2): The derelicts of space
Before the Pioneer 11 spacecraft could venture beyond our solar system, it had to pass through the rings of Saturn. At the time, the rings were not well characterized and some thought the spacecraft could ...
Mar 06, 2012
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Acidic Europa may eat away at chances for life
The ocean underneath the icy shell of Jupiter's moon Europa could be too acid to support life, due to compounds that may regularly migrate downward from its surface, researchers find.
Mar 01, 2012
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O, Pioneers! (Part 1): The motes in God's eye
March 2012 marks the fortieth anniversary of the launch of one of the most extraordinary spacecraft ever constructed - Pioneer 10 - the first true deep space probe. The story of the Voyager spacecraft is well ...
Feb 27, 2012
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Extending the habitable zone for red dwarf stars
Scientists have long thought that planets had to orbit very close to small and dim red dwarf stars in order to be warm enough for life. New research challenges that assumption.
Feb 24, 2012
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