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Astrobiologist Dale Andersen’s Antarctic Field Report: 20 Oct 2026: Wheels Down In Cape Town
[Dale Andersen]: The 787 Dreamliner rolled to a stop far out on the apron, as the big jets often do here, and I climbed down into a gray afternoon and onto a waiting bus. Across the airfield, parked in front of the Ultima Antarctic Logistics hangar, stood the aircraft that will carry us the rest…
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Astrobiology Primer
[Current Biology (Cell)] Astrobiology aims not only to determine whether life exists beyond Earth but…
The Evolution Of Oxygen, Temperature, And Marine Aerobic Habitat For Animals Over The Last Billion Years Of Earth History
[Current Biology (Cell)] Atmospheric and ocean oxygen levels and temperature have changed considerably over Earth…
Icy Ocean Planet Recon: Saildrone Research Fleet To Circle Antarctica For 5 Years
Editor’s note: As we plan to use robotic probes such as Saildrone to explore worlds…
Earth As A Potential Source Of Llife For Europa’s Subsurface Ocean
The paper discusses the possibility of dust particles containing living bacteria ejected from Earth reaching Europa and landing on its surface. It is shown that, taking certain factors into account, over a period of 30 − 80 Myr (the estimated age of Europa’s ocean), Jupiter’s moon would have been impacted…
Keep readingDust To Dust: Prospects For Passive Technosignatures As Relics Of ETI
Technological societies are separated in time, not just space — that is the lesson of the Drake equation. Might the best way to seek them be to find technosignatures that persist long after their creators? I present work I and my collaborators have done on the idea of passive technosignatures,…
Keep readingExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Astronomy & Telescopes
Atmospheres, Climate, Weather
Microbial Methanogenesis on Mars: A Life Detection Target For An MLE-Type Mission And Future Human Exploration
[astro-ph.IM] Methane (CH4) is one of the most enigmatic and potentially consequential trace gases detected on Mars, having demonstrated apparent seasonality, localized plumes, or, depending on who you ask, never conclusively detected at all. While the Martian methane mystery remains unsolved, it has sparked a vibrant area of astrobiology research exploring whether microbial methanogenesis –…
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Astrobiologist Dale Andersen’s Antarctic Field Report: Preview: Fall 2026 Lake Untersee Field Season
Keith’s note: Dale Andersen is preparing for his second expedition to Lake Untersee, Antarctica for 2026. The first 2026 Field season at Lake Untersee was…
Using Nuclear Technology To Change How We Explore Icy Ocean Worlds: Examples From Nuclear Powered Mission Concept Designs
[Frontiers] Icy ocean worlds represent some of the most compelling targets in the search for extraterrestrial life, yet their exploration is constrained by significant logistical…
Perseverance Mars Rover Sets Off-World Record for Total Distance Driven
[NASA]. NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has driven farther than any vehicle ever has on the surface of another world. On Oct. 11, the rover’s odometer…
Imaging & Spectroscopy
SwRI Staff Contribute To New Ideas About Origins Of Uranus And Neptune
[SwRI] Uranus and Neptune are often considered planetary twins due to their many similar characteristics, including size, mass and atmospheric conditions, and have long been…
Rosalind Franklin Rover Stand-In Tackles A Tilted Descent
[ESA]. A full-size model of the rover tackled slopes, boulders and Mars-like gravity as it stepped onto a simulated martian terrain during a two-month test…
An ALMA View On Molecular Complexity: Water, Methanol, And Methyl Formate In The HD 100546 And IRS 48 Disks
[astro-ph.EP] Water and methanol are the fundamental constituents of interstellar and cometary ices: understanding their abundances in disks is therefore of high importance to reveal…
Biosignatures & Paleobiology
The Atmospheric Chemistry and Surface Interactions on Mars (ACSIOM) Workshop 2025
[astro-ph.IM] The ACSIOM workshop was held in Cambridge from 10th-12th November 2025. Its primary aims were twofold: 1) to gather UK researchers involved in Mars…
Experimental Astrochemistry And Machine Learning Unravel The Formation Of Oxygen-bearing Organic Molecules In Extraterrestrial Ices
[Nature Communications Chemistry] Oxygen-bearing organic molecules, including aldehydes, alcohols, and peroxides, serve as key precursors to complex organics in extraterrestrial environments. Their non-equilibrium formation mechanisms…
Frontiers Of Chemical Complexity In The Interstellar Medium: Unveiling The Cosmic Origins Of life
[astro-ph.IM] The interstellar medium (ISM) contains a rich molecular inventory that provides a unique window into the chemistry operating during star and planet formation and…