Surprising number of exoplanets could host life
Earth. A new study shows other stars could have as many as seven Earth-like planets in the absence of a gas giant like Jupiter.
Astronomy
Jul 31, 2020
12
2219
Astrobiology news
Organic materials essential for life on Earth are found for the first time on the surface of an asteroid
New research from Royal Holloway, has found water and organic matter on the surface of an asteroid sample returned from the inner Solar System. This is the first time that organic materials, which could have provided chemical ...
Space Exploration
Mar 4, 2021
0
15806
Better than earth? Are there superhabitable worlds in the Milky Way?
I've said many times in the past that the Earth is the best planet in the universe. No matter where we go, we'll never find a planet that's a better home to Earth life than Earth. Of course, that's because we, and all other ...
Astronomy
Sep 25, 2019
2
953
New findings point to an Earth-like environment on ancient Mars
A research team using the ChemCam instrument onboard NASA's Curiosity rover discovered higher-than-usual amounts of manganese in lakebed rocks within Gale Crater on Mars, which indicates that the sediments were formed in ...
Astrobiology
May 1, 2024
0
4682
Study warns of 'oxygen false positives' in search for signs of life on other planets
In the search for life on other planets, the presence of oxygen in a planet's atmosphere is one potential sign of biological activity that might be detected by future telescopes. A new study, however, describes several scenarios ...
Astrobiology
Apr 13, 2021
2
5705
Gravitational waves may have made human life possible
Could it be that human existence depends on gravitational waves? Some key elements in our biological makeup may come from astrophysical events that occur because gravitational waves exist, a research team headed by John R. ...
Prebiotic ethanolamine found in a molecular cloud near the center of the Milky Way
An international team of researchers has found evidence of prebiotic ethanolamine (NH2CH2CH2OH) in a molecular cloud near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy ...
New evidence of organic material identified on Ceres, the inner solar system's most water-rich object after Earth
Six years ago, NASA's Dawn mission communicated with Earth for the last time, ending its exploration of Ceres and Vesta, the two largest bodies in the asteroid belt. Since then, Ceres —a water-rich dwarf planet showing signs ...
Astrobiology
Dec 4, 2024
2
902
Dyson spheres: Astronomers report potential candidates for alien structures, and evidence against their existence
There are three ways to look for evidence of alien technological civilizations. One is to look out for deliberate attempts by them to communicate their existence, for example, through radio broadcasts. Another is to look ...
Astronomy
May 25, 2024
34
1137
A formula for life? New model calculates chances of intelligent beings in our universe and beyond
The chances of intelligent life emerging in our universe—and in any hypothetical ones beyond it—can be estimated by a new theoretical model which has echoes of the famous Drake Equation.
Astronomy
Nov 12, 2024
1
894
