If life is abundant in the universe, atmospheric methane may be the first sign of life beyond Earth detectable by astronomers. Although nonbiological processes can generate methane, a new study by scientists at UC Santa Cruz ...
Astrobiology
Mar 28, 2022
1
731
We recently bade farewell to the Cassini spacecraft, which after 13 years of faithfully orbiting Saturn and its moons was directed to plunge into the giant planet's atmosphere. The reason for the "grand finale" was to guard ...
Space Exploration
Nov 7, 2017
0
263
New data gathered by the Mars Curiosity rover indicates a potential history of hydrothermal activity at Gale Crater on the red planet, broadening the variety of habitable conditions once present there, scientists report in ...
Space Exploration
Aug 25, 2017
1
500
As a child, Alfredo Colato cooked eggs on this southern Italian volcano. Today, he is poised to flee Campi Flegrei, as experts warn earthquakes rocking his hometown could herald an eruption.
Environment
Oct 4, 2023
1
54
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has begun transmitting its latest images of Saturn's icy, geologically active moon Enceladus, acquired during the dramatic Oct. 28 flyby in which the probe passed about 30 miles (49 kilometers) above ...
Space Exploration
Nov 1, 2015
0
519
Nearly 6,000 different minerals are known to exist on Earth, but after more than 50 years of investigations, only 161 minerals have been recorded on Mars—a dramatically lower number for a planet that shares much in common ...
Planetary Sciences
Sep 7, 2023
0
109
A new study by a team of Cassini mission scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder have found that microscopic grains of rock detected near Saturn imply hydrothermal activity is taking place within the moon Enceladus.
Space Exploration
Mar 11, 2015
1
3719
The Cassini spacecraft took a daring plunge into the icy geysers of Saturn's moon Enceladus this week in search of telltale signs of a habitable environment.
Space Exploration
Oct 30, 2015
0
79
NASA's Cassini spacecraft will wrap up its time in the region of Saturn's large, icy moons with a series of three close encounters with Enceladus starting Wednesday, Oct. 14. Images are expected to begin arriving one to two ...
Space Exploration
Oct 13, 2015
2
1311
Corn is America's top agricultural crop, and also one of its most wasteful. About half the harvest—stalks, leaves, husks, and cobs—remains as waste after the kernels have been stripped from the cobs. These leftovers, ...
Materials Science
Apr 26, 2021
0
923
