astrobiology

An aerial photo shows the remains of a delta where a water source once fed an ancient lake at the Jezero crater on Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUGround-penetrating radar reveals eons of environmental changes, offers hope that soil samples hold traces of life.Ground-penetrating radar onboard NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has confirmed that the Jezero crater, formed by an ancient meteor impact just north of the Martian equator, once harbored a vast lake and river delta.Over eons, sediment deposition and erosion within…

Research led by Stanford University reveals that life can persist in extremely salty environments, a significant discovery for understanding habitability in our solar system and the effects of salinity on Earth’s ecosystems. Credit: SciTechDaily.comA Stanford study on microbes in extremely salty water suggests life may survive conditions previously thought to be uninhabitable. The research widens the possibilities for where life may be found throughout our solar system and shows how changes in salinity may affect life in…

Astronomers have discovered that stars like the Sun experience a significant reduction in magnetic braking as they age, altering our understanding of star evolution and the potential for habitable environments around older stars. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNew studies reveal that older stars have weaker magnetic braking, suggesting that they might be prime locations for finding alien life.Once upon a cosmic time, scientists assumed that stars apply an eternal magnetic brake, causing an endless slowdown of their rotation.…

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured this image of Enceladus on November 30, 2010. The shadow of the body of Enceladus on the lower portions of the jets is clearly visible. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science InstituteA NASA study suggests 17 exoplanets could harbor life-supporting oceans under ice, with potential geysers driven by internal heating. This research, comparing these exoplanets to Europa and Enceladus, enhances the search for life in the universe.A NASA study expands the search for life beyond our solar…

In the quest to find life beyond Earth, researchers are now considering both biological and technological markers, with a new focus on the role of oxygen. A study by Adam Frank and Amedeo Balbi in Nature Astronomy emphasizes the importance of oxygen not only for life but also for the development of advanced technology. They propose that significant oxygen levels are crucial for the emergence of “technospheres,” advanced technological realms on other planets, and that targeting oxygen-rich planets should be a priority in…

A recent study reveals that icy celestial body micrometeorites may have brought nitrogen to Earth’s orbit in the solar system’s early days, contributing potentially to life’s building blocks. Credit: SciTechDaily.comKyoto-Hawai’i team reveals results of study from Ryugu samples.Micrometeorites originating from icy celestial bodies in the outer Solar System may be responsible for transporting nitrogen to the near-Earth region in the early days of our solar system. That discovery was published recently in Nature Astronomy…

This illustration shows Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus with the plume of ice particles, water vapor, and organic molecules that sprays from fractures in the moon’s south polar region. Credit: NASA/JPL-CaltechA study zooms in on data that NASA’s Cassini gathered at Saturn’s icy moon and finds evidence of a key ingredient for life and a supercharged source of energy to fuel it.Scientists have known that the giant plume of ice grains and water vapor spewing from Saturn’s moon Enceladus is rich with organic compounds, some of…

Researchers conducted a novel study on the runaway greenhouse effect, revealing how a critical threshold of water vapor can lead to catastrophic climate changes on Earth and other planets. The research reveals a significant cloud pattern that contributes to this irreversible climate change, providing insights into exoplanet climates and their potential to support life. Credit: SciTechDaily.comA team from UNIGE together with CNRS has managed to simulate the entire runaway greenhouse effect, which can make a planet…

A major scientific breakthrough reveals that amino acids in the ice plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus can endure high-speed impacts, enhancing the prospects of finding life beyond Earth. Credit: SciTechDaily.comEnceladus’ ice plumes may hold the building blocks of life.As astrophysics technology and research continue to advance, one question persists: is there life elsewhere in the universe? The Milky Way galaxy alone has hundreds of billions of celestial bodies, but scientists often look for three crucial elements in…

Astrobiologists suspect there could be alien life just out of reach in our solar system, in oceans hidden beneath icy crusts on moons circling Jupiter and Saturn. But unlike the surface of Mars, which can be explored by rovers and landers, these mysterious oceans are currently inaccessible to us. In an effort to change that, researchers convened this year to design a novel mission that could finally reveal what’s in those distant water worlds. “Even AI Rappers are Harassed by Police” | AI UnlockedThe proposed probe,…