A new study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found seawater cycles throughout the Earth’s interior down to 2,900 km (1,800 miles), much deeper than previously thought, reopening […]
2017
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Triaxial Deformation and Asynchronous Rotation of Rocky Planets in the Habitable Zone of Low-Mass Stars
Rocky planets orbiting M-dwarf stars in the habitable zone tend to be driven to synchronous rotation by tidal dissipation, potentially causing difficulties for maintaining a habitable climate on the planet. […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
The Equilibrium Temperature of Planets in Elliptical Orbits
There exists a positive correlation between orbital eccentricity and the average stellar flux that planets receive from their parent star. Often, though, it is assumed that the average equilibrium temperature […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
UV Surface Habitability of the TRAPPIST-1 System
With the discovery of rocky planets in the temperate habitable zone (HZ) of the close-by cool star TRAPPIST-1 the question of whether such planets could also harbour life arises. Potentially […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Spitzer Telescope Telescope Reveals Largest Batch of Earth-Size, Habitable-Zone Planets Around Single Star
NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed the first known system of seven Earth-size planets around a single star. Three of these planets are firmly located in the habitable zone, the […]
Posted inCeres, Press Release
Dawn Discovers Evidence for Organic Material on Ceres
NASA’s Dawn mission has found evidence for organic material on Ceres, a dwarf planet and the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists using the […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
A Supernova at 50 pc: Effects on the Earth's Atmosphere and Biota
Recent 60Fe results have suggested that the estimated distances of supernovae in the last few million years should be reduced from 100 pc to 50 pc. Two events or series […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release, Proxima Centauri
Is Proxima Centauri b Habitable? – A Study of Atmospheric Loss
We address the important question of whether the newly discovered exoplanet, Proxima Centauri b (PCb), is capable of retaining an atmosphere over long periods of time. This is done by […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Press Release, Radiation, Space Stations
Algae Survive Heat, Cold and Cosmic Radiation Outside of the Space Station
In a long-term experiment on the International Space Station, Fraunhofer researchers studied how the extreme conditions in space affect algae. Fraunhofer conducted this experiment in close cooperation with German and […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Constraints on Climate and Habitability for Earth-like Exoplanets Determined from a General Circulation Model
Conventional definitions of habitability require abundant liquid surface water to exist continuously over geologic timescales. Water in each of its thermodynamic phases interacts with solar and thermal radiation and is […]