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Astrobiology news
Mars rover detects never-before-seen organic compounds in new experiment
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has uncovered a diverse mix of organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth.
Astrobiology
32 minutes ago
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New device aims to protect the Earth from Martian microbes
The possibility of life on other planets is one of the biggest mysteries in science. But what would happen if we actually found it? Our scientists are preparing for this possibility by helping to develop a new system that ...
Astrobiology
13 hours ago
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How resilient fungus might survive Mars and space
Scientists have long known that fungi are resilient, but a new study suggests that some strains might survive every step of the long, brutal trip to Mars. In a paper published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, researchers ...
Astrobiology
20 hours ago
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Are aliens real? Scientists have been hunting for extraterrestrial life since the time of Aristotle
Do aliens exist? Could Earth really be the only planet hosting intelligent life?
Astrobiology
Apr 16, 2026
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Planets need more water to support life than scientists previously thought
Unfortunately for science fiction fans, desert worlds outside our solar system are unlikely to host life, according to new research from the University of Washington. Scientists show that an Earth-sized planet needs at least ...
Astrobiology
Apr 15, 2026
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Alien life may hide in plain sight: Statistical patterns across exoplanets move beyond traditional biosignatures
A research team has developed a new approach to detecting life beyond Earth that does not rely on identifying specific biological markers. Instead, the study suggests that life may be detectable through patterns emerging ...
Astrobiology
Apr 15, 2026
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'Bathtub ring' hints at ancient Martian ocean
Caltech researchers have identified geological features on Mars that could point to the existence of a long-dried ocean that once covered a third of the Red Planet's surface. The research was conducted by former Caltech postdoctoral ...
Astrobiology
Apr 15, 2026
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Young stars dim quickly in their X-ray output, potentially benefiting orbiting planets
Scientists have found that young stellar cousins of our sun are calming down and dimming more quickly in their X-ray output than previously thought, according to a new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. A paper ...
Astrobiology
Apr 14, 2026
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Contaminants, including ink, detected in meteorites suggest sample preparation needs improving
The IBeA group of the EHU-University of the Basque Country is proposing new measures to safeguard the purity of extraterrestrial samples. Several contaminants, including traces of ink, originating in the preparation of subsamples, ...
Astrobiology
Apr 14, 2026
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Between eternal night and day, the faces of two cousins of Earth
An international team including the University of Bern (UNIBE) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE), members of the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS, has succeeded in mapping the climate of rocky exoplanets ...
Astrobiology
Apr 13, 2026
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Space worms! A microscopic crew goes into orbit to support future moon missions
British scientists have launched a crew of microscopic worms to the International Space Station in a pioneering experiment that could help unlock the secrets of long-duration space travel—and support ambitions to reach the ...
Space Exploration
Apr 13, 2026
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Meet Orpheus—A hopper mission built to hunt for life in Martian volcanoes
We've spent decades scratching the surface of Mars trying to uncover life there. But we've been searching a barren wasteland bombarded by radiation and bathed in toxic perchlorates. The entire time, it's likely that it's ...
Astrobiology
Apr 12, 2026
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Chang'e mission samples reveal how exogenous organic matter evolves on the moon
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 ...
Astrobiology
Apr 10, 2026
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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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More news
How plants could betray themselves across the galaxy
Human sperm may get lost in space
Life, but not as we know it
'Ionic liquids' could redefine the habitable zone
Other news
LHC decay anomaly reveals possible crack in the Standard Model
Alkaline cement tiles boost baby coral survival from 12% to 52%
New AI method captures long-range atomic interactions in complex molecules
Sprinkling nanoparticles on spintronics
How do we know what asteroids are made out of?
Introducing the Interplanetary Habitable Zone
How long do civilizations last?
Stem cell embryo model grows yolk sac without hypoblasts or gene editing
Chemists stabilize rare three‑atom metal ring, revealing new form of aromaticity
