Astronomers devise 'habitability index' to guide future search
Powerful telescopes are coming soon. Where exactly shall we point them?
Powerful telescopes are coming soon. Where exactly shall we point them?
Astronomy
Oct 6, 2015
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Astronomers at the 29th International Astronomical Union General Assembly will announce on August 14 the discovery of a new transiting "circumbinary" planet, bringing the number of such known planets into double digits. A ...
Astronomy
Aug 7, 2015
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Viewed from above, our solar system's planetary orbits around the sun resemble rings around a bulls-eye. Each planet, including Earth, keeps to a roughly circular path, always maintaining the same distance from the sun.
Astronomy
Jun 1, 2015
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Can life survive for billions of years longer than the expected timeline on Earth? As scientists discover older and older solar systems, it's likely that before long we'll find an ancient planet in a habitable zone. Knowing ...
Astronomy
May 7, 2015
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Mars's life-friendly past just got friendlier. Using samples previously collected by the NASA rover Curiosity, scientists have discovered evidence of nitrates in Martian rock: nitrogen compounds that on Earth are a crucial ...
Space Exploration
Mar 24, 2015
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Two phenomena known to inhibit the potential habitability of planets—tidal forces and vigorous stellar activity—might instead help chances for life on certain planets orbiting low-mass stars, University of Washington ...
Astronomy
Jan 28, 2015
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2110
Astronomers announced today that they have found eight new planets in the "Goldilocks" zone of their stars, orbiting at a distance where liquid water can exist on the planet's surface. This doubles the number of small planets ...
Astronomy
Jan 6, 2015
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For life as we know it to develop on other planets, those planets would need liquid water, or oceans. Geologic evidence suggests that Earth's oceans have existed for nearly the entire history of our world. But would that ...
Astronomy
Jan 5, 2015
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(Phys.org) —Planets orbiting close to low-mass stars—easily the most common stars in the universe—are prime targets in the search for extraterrestrial life.
Astronomy
Dec 2, 2014
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By using the full power of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer an international team of astronomers has discovered exozodiacal light close to the habitable zones around nine nearby stars. This light is starlight reflected ...
Astronomy
Nov 3, 2014
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