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Astrobiology news
Tough microbes found in NASA cleanrooms hold clues to space survival and biotech
A new study by scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and several institutes across India and Saudi Arabia has reported 26 novel bacterial species growing inside cleanrooms associated with NASA space missions. These ...
Space Exploration
9 hours ago
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Want to find life? You'll want to compare several exoplanets in the same system
Most astronomers agree that life is likely common throughout the universe. While Earth is the only world known to have life, we know that life arose early in our world, and the building blocks of life, including amino acids ...
Astrobiology
12 hours ago
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Proposed experiment could clarify origin of Martian methane
Over the past decade, the Curiosity rover has repeatedly detected methane on the surface of Mars. This gas is often produced by microbes, so it could herald the presence of life on the red planet. But skeptics have postulated ...
Astrobiology
13 hours ago
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Meteorites and marsquakes hint at an underground ocean of liquid water on the red planet
Evidence is mounting that a secret lies beneath the dusty red plains of Mars, one that could redefine our view of the red planet: a vast reservoir of liquid water, locked deep in the crust.
Astrobiology
13 hours ago
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There are many ways to interpret the atmosphere of K2-18b
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. That truism, now known as the "Sagan standard" after science communicator Carl Sagan, has been around in some form since David Hume first published it in the 1740s. But, ...
Astrobiology
16 hours ago
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DNA-like molecule may survive Venus-like cloud conditions
Punishing conditions in the clouds of Venus could be home to a DNA-like molecule capable of forming genes in life very different to that on Earth, according to a new study.
Astrobiology
May 8, 2025
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New project investigates mysteries of Sun's atmosphere
The sun's activity has a profound impact on satellites, humans in space and technology on Earth.
Astrobiology
May 7, 2025
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Mars surface patterns resemble Earth, revealing secrets of its past
Despite its dry, dusty surface and thinner atmosphere, Mars may have more in common with Earth than scientists previously thought.
Astrobiology
May 5, 2025
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Ancient metabolic process recreated: Iron and sulfur reactions in simulated black smokers shed light on early life
The very first cells obtained their energy from geochemical reactions. LMU researchers have now managed to recreate this ancient metabolic process in their laboratory.
Astrobiology
Apr 30, 2025
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115
Life on Earth-like planets may emerge rapidly once conditions are favorable
An astronomer at Columbia University is suggesting that because life emerged so soon on Earth after its formation, it may emerge rapidly on Earth-like planets after the right conditions arise in general.
An astronomer explains the extraordinary evidence scientists need to claim discoveries like extraterrestrial life
The detection of life beyond Earth would be one of the most profound discoveries in the history of science. The Milky Way galaxy alone hosts hundreds of millions of potentially habitable planets. Astronomers are using powerful ...
Astrobiology
Apr 28, 2025
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Webb helps scientists better understand solar system's origins
University of Central Florida (UCF) scientists and their collaborators discovered new insights into the formation of distant icy objects in space beyond Neptune, offering a deeper understanding of our solar system's formation ...
Astrobiology
Apr 25, 2025
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Why Webb may never be able to find evidence of life on another world
The exoplanet K2-18b is generating headlines because researchers announced what could be evidence of life on the planet. The JWST detected a pair of atmospheric chemicals that on Earth are produced by living organisms. The ...
Astronomy
Apr 23, 2025
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A possible explanation for why there is so much molecular hydrogen in space
Two materials physicists at The University of Sydney have found a possible explanation for the huge amount of molecular hydrogen in space. In their study published in the journal Communications Chemistry, Yuzhen Guo and David ...
Scientists claim to have found evidence of alien life. But 'biosignatures' might hide more than they reveal
Whether or not we're alone in the universe is one of the biggest questions in science.
Astrobiology
Apr 23, 2025
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Scientists recreate deep space chemistry linked to first metabolic systems on Earth
Prebiotic molecules central to life's earliest metabolic processes—chemical reactions in cells that change food into energy—may have been born in deep space long before Earth existed, according to new research from the ...
Astrobiology
Apr 22, 2025
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A new concept for an astrobiology mission to Enceladus
This year's Lunar Planetary Science Conference (2025 LPSC) saw some truly astounding presentations and proposals. These covered a wide range of science and exploration missions that address the priorities of NASA, other space ...
Astrobiology
Apr 21, 2025
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Searching for life on Mars in the snow and ice
The surface of Mars is extremely cold, irradiated, and desiccated. But at one time, the planet was much warmer and wetter, with flowing water, lakes, and even an ocean covering most of its northern hemisphere. Because of ...
Astrobiology
Apr 21, 2025
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Scientists found a potential sign of life on a distant planet—an astronomer explains why many are still skeptical
A team of astronomers announced on April 16, 2025, that in the process of studying a planet around another star, they had found evidence for an unexpected atmospheric gas. On Earth, that gas—called dimethyl sulfide—is ...
Astrobiology
Apr 21, 2025
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Study unveils volcanic history and clues to ancient life on Mars
In a study co-authored by a Texas A&M University scientist, researchers have revealed new insights into the geological history of Mars's Jezero Crater, the landing site of NASA's Perseverance rover. Their findings suggest ...
Astrobiology
Apr 19, 2025
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More news
Curiosity rover finds large carbon deposits on Mars
Where are all the aliens?: Fermi's paradox explained
Q&A: What if we don't find any life on exoplanets?
Q&A: How to (theoretically) spot an alien
The search for biosignatures in Enceladus' plumes
How to engineer microbes to enable us to live on Mars
Other news
Results of the HAYSTAC Phase II search for dark matter axions
Flamingos create water tornados to trap their prey
Study uncovers mystery of how mini sand dunes form
How can we find cryovolcanoes on Europa?
