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The Moon is ridiculously big relative to the size of Earth, and this was thought to be a cosmic rarity. Now it looks like rocky planets with huge moons are actually extremely common, which might help us find alien life. More »
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It seems too cruel to believe we're the only technologically advanced species in the cosmos. We couldn't possibly be the only ones, with so many stars and so many habitable planets out there. More »
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NASA is bringing together a geologist, an oceanographer, a biologist, and an ecologist for a press conference on Thursday to talk about an astrobiology discovery that "will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life." Yeah, this could be major. More »
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That's what one scientist is claiming, saying he detected a suspicious light pulse in the vicinity of Gliese 581g two years ago. But the rest of the astronomy community is blasting his claims, accusing him of making a mistake...or worse. More »
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Our species' long-term survival might ultimately rest on our ability to keep existence interesting, and that could prove impossible unless we find aliens to talk to. Without other intelligent lifeforms around, say theorists, humanity's collective intellect might wither and die. More »
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In the Bahamas' submerged inland caverns, or "blue holes," a thin layer of fresh water separates oxygen from salt water. This creates a submerged, oxygen-free environment that could resemble underground water pockets on Mars or the seas of Europa. More »
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In the next two or three years, advances in NASA's Kepler telescope will allow astronomers to determine which planets outside our solar system could potentially sustain life. Exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars are likely candidates for having Earth-like environments. More »
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While our sun and Earth have allowed for the development of a relative bounty of life, many astronomers are starting to believe that the conditions they provide aren't unique, or even ideal, suggesting we may not be alone after all. More »
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There are probably billions of Earthlike planets in our galaxy alone, predicts scientist Alan Boss. With NASA launching the Kepler satellite, seeking other Earths, you can expect the first discoveries in a few years. More »
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Now that the Phoenix lander is up there digging trenches on Mars, conspiracy theories are starting to swirl. This week, even the mainstream media was abuzz with reports that NASA was withholding a major announcement — the discovery of life (or evidence of past life) on Mars. The wild speculation forced NASA to go ahead and reveal what they did find, or might have found, or think they found — and what it all possibly maybe potentially means for the existence of extraterrestrial life. More »
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Astronomers have detected organic compounds — but not life — on a planet outside our solar system for the first time. The Jupiter-sized HD189733b, 63 light years away, has methane as well as water vapor, despite its proximity to its sun and atmospheric temperatures of 700 degrees Celsius. There's no way a planet that hot can support life (we think), but then again, you shouldn't be able to find methane at those temperatures either. In any case, the discovery is another step towards being able to analyze the atmospheres of distant planets. Image by Christophe Carreau/ESA. [New Scientist] More »
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