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Astrobiology news
If life exists in Venus's atmosphere, it could have come from Earth
The theory of panspermia holds that life is spread through the cosmos via asteroids, comets, and other objects. When the building blocks of life emerge on one planet, impacts can eject surface material into space, which then ...
Astrobiology
Apr 6, 2026
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The Habitable Worlds Observatory will need astrometry to find life
We're getting closer and closer to finding a real Earth-like exoplanet. But finding one is only half the battle. To truly know if we're looking at an Earth analog somewhere else in the galaxy, we have to directly image it ...
Astronomy
Apr 3, 2026
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'Serendipitous' discovery of Martian ripple marks reveals an ancient sandstorm
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 ...
Astrobiology
Apr 2, 2026
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Gemini South confirms long-suspected link between the composition of exoplanets and their host stars
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 ...
Astrobiology
Apr 1, 2026
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High nickel concentrations in Martian bedrock point to potential biosignatures
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, ...
Impacts from meteors may have helped start life on Earth by creating hydrothermal vents
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, ...
Astrobiology
Mar 31, 2026
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Legged robot could accelerate resource prospecting on the moon and the search for life on Mars
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, ...
Astrobiology
Mar 31, 2026
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How plants could betray themselves across the galaxy
Here's a thought experiment. Imagine looking at Earth from a distant star system, armed with a powerful telescope capable of capturing its reflected light. Could you tell the planet was alive? The answer, remarkably, might ...
Astrobiology
Mar 30, 2026
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Scientists harness plasma clumps trapped in stellar magnetospheres to assess habitability around M dwarf stars
How does a star affect the makeup of its planets? And what does this mean for the habitability of distant worlds? Carnegie's Luke Bouma is exploring a new way to probe this critical question—using naturally occurring space ...
Astrobiology
Mar 30, 2026
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Measuring titanium in Apollo rock to uncover moon's early chemistry
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 ...
Astrobiology
Mar 30, 2026
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New Henrietta spectrograph to probe alien atmospheres
Finding life beyond our solar system goes beyond measuring an exoplanet's size, as rocky, Earth-sized worlds might not have the conditions for life as we know it. While exoplanets can be directly imaged by blocking their ...
Astrobiology
Mar 30, 2026
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Human sperm may get lost in space
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 ...
Space Exploration
Mar 26, 2026
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Developing optical vortex phase masks for the detection of habitable worlds
A team of NASA researchers is developing new types of optical masks that could help enable the many orders of magnitude of starlight suppression needed for future space observatories to pick out very faint habitable exoplanets ...
Astrobiology
Mar 25, 2026
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All 5 fundamental units of life's genetic code were just discovered in an asteroid sample
A new study reveals all five fundamental nucleobases—the molecular "letters" of life—have been detected in samples from the asteroid Ryugu.
Astrobiology
Mar 22, 2026
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Moons orbiting wandering exoplanets could be habitable—with one catch
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 ...
A self-sufficient Mars garden? How cyanobacteria-based fertilizer could grow edible biomass
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 ...
Space Exploration
Mar 20, 2026
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The discovery of a buried delta on Mars could boost the search for life
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 ...
The best places to look for alien life: Scientists identify 45 Earth-like worlds to explore for a 'Project Hail Mary'
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 ...
Astrobiology
Mar 19, 2026
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Colliding dust and the sparks of creation: Carbon-coated grains provide new clue to life's early energy
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 ...
Astrobiology
Mar 18, 2026
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Experiment challenges hypothesis of cell-like membranes on Titan
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 ...
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Megawatt structured light arrives with 3,070 optical vortices in one array
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What if dark matter came in two states?
How long could Earth microbes live on Mars?
