Unlocking the secrets of Earth's early atmosphere

Research partly conducted at the Advanced Photon Source helped scientists discover the composition of Earth's first atmosphere. What they found raises questions about the origin of life on Earth.

Sulfurous signs of life

Any sulfurous molecules that astronomers spot on alien worlds might be a way to reveal whether or not those distant planets host life, researchers suggest.

Chemical composition of aircraft exhaust aerosols investigated

Can aircraft pollutant emissions be reduced by using biofuels? And what influence does an alternative fuel have on the formation of contrails? In mid-January, a joint German Aerospace Center (DLR) and US space agency NASA ...

Super-Earth has an atmosphere, but is it steamy or gassy?

In December 2009, astronomers announced the discovery of a super-Earth known as GJ 1214b. At the time, they reported signs that the newfound world likely had a thick, gaseous atmosphere. Now, a team led by Jacob Bean (Harvard-Smithsonian ...

Saturn's moon Enceladus spreads its influence

(PhysOrg.com) -- Chalk up one more feat for Saturn's intriguing moon Enceladus. The small, dynamic moon spews out dramatic plumes of water vapor and ice -- first seen by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2005. It possesses simple ...

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