The end-Permian extinction is associated with a mysterious disruption to Earth’s carbon cycle. Here we identify causal mechanisms via three observations. First, we show that geochemical signals indicate superexponential growth […]
March 2014
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes
Light Echoes from n Carinae's Great Eruption: Spectrophotometric Evolution and the Rapid Formation of Nitrogen-rich Molecules
By obtaining images and spectra at the same light echo position between 2011 and 2014, we follow the evolution of the Great Eruption on a three-year timescale. By obtaining images […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Conferences and Meetings, Education and Outreach
AbGradCon 2014 Abstract Submission Now Open
The 10th Annual Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon), an interdisciplinary conference organized by and for graduate students and early career scientists, will be held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
The Gemini Planet Imager: First Light
The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) is a dedicated facility for directly imaging and spectroscopically characterizing extrasolar planets. It combines a very high-order adaptive optics system, a diffraction-suppressing coronagraph, and an […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Setting the Stage for Habitable Planets
Our understanding of the processes that are relevant to the formation and maintenance of habitable planetary systems is advancing at a rapid pace, both from observation and theory. The present […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Spectropolarimetric Constraints on the Nature of Interstellar Grains
While it is well recognized that interstellar grains are made of amorphous silicates and some form of carbonaceous materials, it remains debated regarding what exact chemical and physical form the […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Super-Habitable Worlds
Earth is the only known example of an inhabited planet in the universe, so the search for alien life has focused on Earth-like worlds. But what if there are alien […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Volatile Planetary Evolution and the Possibility of Life
In another step forward in the search for habitable planets, a team of researchers based out of the US and Chile announced that they have located a large swarm of […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Exploring Below Antarctica's Blood Falls
Microbiologist Jill Mikucki first saw a photo of Blood Falls during a class for her master’s degree at Portland State University. It immediately captivated her. Fast-forward about a dozen years. […]
Posted inImpact events
Assessments of the Energy, Mass and Size of the Chicxulub Impactor
In 1980, Alvarez and colleagues proposed that, in the transition from the Cretaceous to Paleogene, a large impactor collided with Earth being the cause of the mass extinction occurred at […]