https://phys.org/space-news/astrobiology/ en-us Astrobiology news stories about origin and evolution of life in the Universe Elements essential to life, such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur, were "delivered" to Earth and the moon during the early stages of the solar system via asteroids and comets impacting their surfaces. These exogenous materials may have provided the chemical building blocks necessary for the origin and early evolution of life on Earth. But extensive geological activity and biological processes on Earth have largely erased the direct records of these early inputs on our planet. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-mission-samples-reveal-exogenous-evolves.html Astrobiology Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:40:03 EDT news695047248 The search for life on Mars involves the efforts of scientists from many different disciplines. An important aspect of that search is to study Martian sedimentary rocks for information about the planet's environment when it is likely that the surface environment hosted abundant water and therefore more habitable, around three to four billion years ago. Now, research published in the journal Geology shows evidence of an intense sandstorm that swept through Mars's Gale crater over three billion years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-serendipitous-discovery-martian-ripple-reveals.html Astrobiology Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:10:01 EDT news694363681 Astronomers have discovered that a giant planet, WASP-189b, echoes the composition of its host star, providing the first direct evidence of a foundational concept in astrobiology. This discovery was achieved through the first-ever simultaneous measurement of gaseous magnesium and silicon in a planet's atmosphere. The team used the Gemini South telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-gemini-south-link-composition-exoplanets.html Astrobiology Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:40:07 EDT news694274600 In 2024, NASA's Perseverance rover found surprising levels of Nickel in the Martian bedrock of an ancient river channel, called Neretva Vallis, which flowed into the Jezero crater. A new study, published in Nature Communications, has taken a closer look at the data collected from the region and researchers are seeing what could be remnants of ancient Martian life. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-high-nickel-martian-bedrock-potential.html Astrobiology Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:20:09 EDT news694274606 Meteor impacts may have helped spark life on Earth, creating hot, chemical-rich environments where the first living cells could take shape, according to research integrated by a recent Rutgers University graduate. Shea Cinquemani, who earned her bachelor's degree from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences in May 2025, has published a paper based on research she started during the spring of her senior year. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-impacts-meteors-life-earth-hydrothermal.html Astrobiology Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:20:03 EDT news694179181 Planetary surface missions currently operate cautiously. On Mars, communication delays between Earth and rovers (typically between four and 22 minutes), as well as data transfer constraints due to uplink and downlink limitations, force scientists to plan operations in advance. Rovers are designed for energy efficiency and safety, and to move slowly across hazardous terrain. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-legged-robot-resource-prospecting-moon.html Astrobiology Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:01 EDT news694078201 Earth and the moon may look very different today, but they formed under similar conditions in space. In fact, a dominant hypothesis says that the early Earth was hit by a Mars-sized object, and it was this giant impact that spun off material to form the moon. But unlike Earth, the moon lacks plate tectonics and an atmosphere capable of reshaping its surface and recycling elements such as oxygen over billions of years. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-titanium-apollo-uncover-moon-early.html Astrobiology Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:40:02 EDT news694089962 Having a baby in space may require a bit more direction, with new Adelaide University research revealing the navigational abilities of sperm are negatively impacted by a lack of gravity. Researchers at the University's Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine and Freemasons Center for Male Health and Wellbeing investigated how extraterrestrial conditions might influence sperm navigation, fertilization and early embryo development. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-human-sperm-lost-space.html Space Exploration Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:01 EDT news693652201 A new study reveals all five fundamental nucleobases—the molecular "letters" of life—have been detected in samples from the asteroid Ryugu. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-fundamental-life-genetic-code-asteroid.html Astrobiology Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:00:05 EDT news692890693 Provided they host thick, hydrogen-dominated atmospheres, moons orbiting free-floating exoplanets could retain much of the heat generated deep within their interiors by tidal forces. Led by David Dahlbüdding at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and Giulia Roccetti at the European Space Agency, a new study predicts that hydrogen could act as a potent greenhouse gas—potentially providing habitable conditions for billions of years after their host planets are first ejected from their stellar systems. The work has been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-moons-orbiting-exoplanets-habitable.html Astrobiology Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:50:01 EDT news692440075 A research team from the Center for Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), the Department of Environmental Process Engineering (UVT) at the University of Bremen and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has made significant progress toward a self-sufficient Mars mission: a fertilizer, which can be produced solely with Martian resources, has been successfully used to grow edible biomass. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-sufficient-mars-garden-cyanobacteria-based.html Space Exploration Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:10:01 EDT news693227144 There's more evidence that water once flowed on Mars with the discovery of an ancient river delta deep below the surface. NASA's Perseverance rover found it more than 35 meters beneath Jezero Crater using ground-penetrating radar. Perseverance was launched in 2020 to search for signs of ancient life on the red planet. Since landing in February 2021, it has been exploring Jezero Crater and collecting rock samples. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-discovery-delta-mars-boost-life.html Astrobiology Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:40:02 EDT news693133013 If we're to find extraterrestrial life in the universe, astronomers have pinpointed the best places to look for it. They have identified just under 50 rocky worlds most likely to be habitable out of the more than 6,000 exoplanets discovered so far. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-alien-life-scientists-earth-worlds.html Astrobiology Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:31:24 EDT news693134878 Two microscopic grains collide and produce a tiny spark. This phenomenon may have provided the energy to kick off life on Earth. But if these solid particles have the same composition, what factor causes the charge to flow in a given direction? In a study published in Nature, physicists from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) identify the key factor as environmental carbon-based molecules that adhere to the materials' surface. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-colliding-creation-carbon-coated-grains.html Astrobiology Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:15 EDT news692980261 New experimental results have cast doubt on earlier proposals suggesting that spherical, cell-like membranes could form in the methane lakes of Saturn's largest moon. Through results published in Science Advances, Tuan Vu and Robert Hodyss at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggest that exobiologists will likely need to explore alternative routes when considering the possibility of life on Titan. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-hypothesis-cell-membranes-titan.html Astrobiology Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:20:01 EDT news692963909 All the essential ingredients to make the DNA and RNA underpinning life on Earth have been discovered in samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu, scientists said Monday. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ryugu-asteroid-samples-dna-rna.html Astrobiology Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:26:23 EDT news692889939 Astronomers have found that both the core of our Milky Way and the earliest proto-galaxies in the universe share a surprising trait: They are unusually calm and quiet in terms of harsh radiation. This tranquility is not just a cosmic curiosity; it may be essential for forming complex molecules that provide the ingredients of life. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-galactic-islands-tranquility-red-dots.html Astronomy Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:20:04 EDT news692548452 Liquid water is considered essential for life. Surprisingly, however, stable conditions that are conducive to life could exist far from any sun. A research team from the Excellence Cluster ORIGINS at LMU and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) has shown that moons around free-floating planets can keep their water oceans liquid for up to 4.3 billion years by virtue of dense hydrogen atmospheres and tidal heating—that is to say, for almost as long as Earth has existed and sufficient time for complex life to develop. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-hydrogen-atmosphere-exomoons-habitable-billions.html Astrobiology Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:00:07 EDT news692437555 In 2020, a study confirmed that two planets orbited the nearby red dwarf, GJ 887. Now, astronomers have confirmed the existence of two additional planets orbiting GJ 887 in a new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. The new study suggests that one of these newly confirmed planets is in the habitable zone. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nearby-red-dwarf-star-hosts.html Astrobiology Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:20:01 EDT news692274430 Life's capacity to survive in simulated lunar and Martian soils has been explored in two papers published in Scientific Reports. Treating simulated lunar soil with both symbiotic fungi and worm-produced compost can significantly improve the likelihood of reproduction for chickpea plants growing in the soil, indicates one study. A separate paper suggests that some microbes may be able to absorb enough water from the atmosphere to grow in simulated Martian soil at atmospheric humidity levels comparable to those on the planet. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-life-mars-potential-simulated-extraterrestrial.html Astrobiology Sat, 07 Mar 2026 13:00:09 EST news691940113 Finding Earth-like planets orbiting sun-like stars and identifying signs of life such as oxygen or water is a major goal in astronomy and a key interest for the public. Addressing this challenge speaks directly to one of humanity's most fundamental questions: Are we alone in the universe? However, these planets are about 10 billion times dimmer than their stars in visible light, making direct detection extremely challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-earth-exoplanets-planet.html Astrobiology Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:40:04 EST news692011638 A new study by researchers at the SETI Institute suggests that stellar "space weather" could make radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligence harder to detect. Stellar activity and plasma turbulence near a transmitting planet can broaden an otherwise ultra-narrow signal, spreading its power across more frequencies and making it more difficult to detect in traditional narrowband searches. The paper is published in The Astrophysical Journal. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-technosignatures-turbulent-plasma-blur-ultra.html Astronomy Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:20:04 EST news691944722 As the U.S. plans to return to the moon with the upcoming Artemis II mission, a question endures: What will future lunar explorers eat? According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, the answer might be chickpeas. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-scientists-successfully-harvest-chickpeas-moon.html Astrobiology Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:00:01 EST news691842481 Tiny life forms tucked into debris from an asteroid hit could catapult to other planets—including Earth—and survive, a new Johns Hopkins University study finds. The work demonstrates that a certain hardy bacterium easily withstands extreme pressure comparable to an ejection from Mars after an asteroid hit, as well as the inhospitable conditions it would face during the ensuing interplanetary journey. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-life-planet-asteroid-debris-survive.html Astrobiology Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:20:04 EST news691758061 Tardigrades, commonly known as water bears, may be better suited by a new name: Tardiguardians of the Galaxy. Unlike the fictional ragtag team of unenthusiastic heroes, the microscopic animals are providing real insight into how humans could adapt extraterrestrial resources to support space exploration, as well as whether such resources could help protect against the Earthly contaminants that humans might shed. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-mars-soil-block-earth-microbes.html Astrobiology Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:01 EST news691409521 Dining on the moon or Mars might seem like a fantasy reserved for science fiction, but researchers are investigating how it could become a reality. Their efforts to recycle plant and human waste into a fertilizer material—turning the barren surfaces of the moon and Mars into fertile fields that might be suitable for extraterrestrial agriculture—are described in ACS Earth and Space Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-farming-moon-mars-recycled-sewage.html Astrobiology Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:30:01 EST news691252981 Southwest Research Institute was part of an international team that demonstrated how complex organic molecules (COMs), key chemical precursors to life, could have been incorporated into Jupiter's Galilean moons during their formation. The team's findings have resulted in complementary studies published in The Planetary Science Journal and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, offering new insights into the potential for life in the Jovian system. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-jupiter-galilean-moons-gained-life.html Astrobiology Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:20:01 EST news691079941 As space agencies prepare for human missions to the moon and Mars, scientists need to understand how the absence of gravity affects living cells. Now, a team of researchers has built a rugged, affordable microscope that can image cells in real time during the chaotic conditions of zero-gravity flight—and they're making the design available to the broader scientific community. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-microscope-cells-gravity.html Space Exploration Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:05 EST news690818565 In the eastern Utah desert, carbon-dioxide-saturated water bubbles, sprays and foams from the ground. These cold-water geysers, sometimes called soda pop geysers, are a new and reliable Earth-based analog for scientists studying plume eruptions of ocean worlds in the outer solar system, according to new research led by Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Morgan Cable and published in Astrobiology. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-cold-geysers-earth-reveal-habitability.html Astrobiology Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:53:30 EST news690479581 For decades, scientists have searched the skies for signs of extraterrestrial technology. A study from EPFL asks a sharp question: if alien signals have already reached Earth without us noticing, what should we realistically expect to detect today? https://phys.org/news/2026-02-alien-earth-havent.html Astronomy Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:16:31 EST news690459361