We only have one example of a planet with life: Earth. But within the next generation, it should become possible to detect signs of life on planets orbiting distant stars. If we find alien life, new questions will arise. ...
Astronomy
Aug 27, 2015
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165
M-dwarfs, which are cooler than our sun, have habitable zones closer to the stars. As such, any habitable planets orbiting these stars would transit frequently, making the chances of discovery better.
Astronomy
Jul 23, 2015
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62
The news that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is to receive increased funding and data through the $100m (£64m) Breakthrough Listen project is welcome news for astrobiologists like myself. Launched by Stephen ...
Astronomy
Jul 22, 2015
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118
Planet Earth is situated in what astronomers call the Goldilocks Zone—a sweet spot in a solar system where a planet's surface temperature is neither too hot nor too cold. An ideal distance from a home star—in Earth's ...
Astronomy
Jul 20, 2015
2
92
As the search continues for Earth-size planets orbiting at just the right distance from their star, a region termed the habitable zone, the number of potentially life-supporting planets grows. In two decades we have progressed ...
Astronomy
Apr 22, 2015
3
659
Long before the hunt began to find Earth lookalikes around other stars, one planet in the Solar System had already been named Earth's twin. With its similar size and mass, Venus measures very close to Earth, with one major ...
Astronomy
Apr 14, 2015
0
171
While no one yet knows what's needed to build a habitable planet, it's clear that the interplay between the sun and Earth is crucial for making our planet livable - a balance between a sun that provides energy and a planet ...
Space Exploration
Apr 9, 2015
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723
Are we alone in the universe? Top NASA scientists say the answer is almost certainly "no."
Space Exploration
Apr 8, 2015
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156
How much atmosphere is too much for life? As scientists discover more super-Earths and mini-Neptunes, the question becomes more relevant.
Astronomy
Apr 2, 2015
0
110
Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets in our galaxy, the Milky Way, using the Kepler satellite and many of them have multiple planets orbiting the host star. By analysing these planetary systems, researchers ...
Astronomy
Mar 18, 2015
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