We combine Spitzer and ground-based KMTNet microlensing observations to identify and precisely measure an Earth-mass (1.32+0.41−0.28M⊕) planet OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb at 1.11+0.13−0.10 AU orbiting a 0.072+0.014−0.010M⊙ ultracool dwarf, likely a brown dwarf. […]
2017
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
The stability of tightly-packed, evenly-spaced systems of Earth-mass planets orbiting a Sun-like star
Many of the multi-planet systems discovered to date have been notable for their compactness, with neighbouring planets closer together than any in the Solar System. Interestingly, planet-hosting stars have a […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Real-Time DNA Sequencing in the Antarctic Dry Valleys Using the Oxford Nanopore Sequencer
The ability to sequence DNA outside of the laboratory setting has enabled novel research questions to be addressed in the field in diverse areas, ranging from environmental microbiology to viral […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
The Longevity of Water Ice on Ganymedes and Europas Around Migrated Giant Planets
The gas giant planets in the Solar System have a retinue of icy moons, and we expect giant exoplanets to have similar satellite systems. If a Jupiter-like planet were to […]
Posted inMars, Press Release
Mars' Arsia Mons and Earth's Dinosaurs Went Extinct About the Same Time
New NASA research reveals that the giant Martian volcano Arsia Mons produced one new lava flow at its summit every 1 to 3 million years during the final peak of […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
CO2 Condensation is a Serious Limit to the Deglaciation of Earth-like Planets
It is widely believed that the carbonate-silicate cycle is the main agent to trigger deglaciations by CO2 greenhouse warming on Earth and on Earth-like planets when they get in frozen […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Press Release
Archaeology in Space: Searching for Life in Rocks
ESA astronauts Pedro Duque and Matthias Maurer have completed geology training to prepare them to be effective partners of planetary scientists and engineers in designing future exploration missions. This third […]
Posted inFossils & Paleontology, Plant Biology, Press Release
Fossils of 1.6 billion-year-old Crown-group Red Algae
The ~1.6 Ga Tirohan Dolomite of the Lower Vindhyan in central India contains phosphatized stromatolitic microbialites. We report from there uniquely well-preserved fossils interpreted as probable crown-group rhodophytes (red algae). […]
Posted inPress Release, Titan
Titan's Lakes May Erupt Bubbles of Nitrogen
A recent NASA-funded study has shown how the hydrocarbon lakes and seas of Saturn’s moon Titan might occasionally erupt with dramatic patches of bubbles. For the study, researchers at NASA’s […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
A Perfect Storm of Fire and Ice May Have Led to Snowball Earth
What caused the largest glaciation event in Earth’s history, known as ‘snowball Earth’? Geologists and climate scientists have been searching for the answer for years but the root cause of […]