![Stellar influence on planetary habitability. Figure credit: solar images from NASA/ESA and KPNO/NSO/AURA/NSF, background pictures generated through OpenAI’s image-generation system (i.e., Adobe Firefly and ChatGPT Images 2.0). Illustration: K. Herbst - [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/StellarActivity.jpg?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] This chapter will review the deep connection of planetary habitability and stellar irradiation. We present the long-term stellar evolution as one of the drivers of atmospheric escape and climate […]
Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology
![This global map of Mars (greys) is overlaid with a map of ice “consistency,” C. Values of C near one (dark blue) indicate a high likelihood of ice in three independent mappings. Lower values of C (lighter blues) indicate lower confidence in ice being present, and indicate detection in at least one dataset. The extreme north and south are both rich in ice (dark blues), ice is absent near the equator, and the presence of ice is uncertain (light blues) in the mid-latitude regions best for astronauts. Credit: Morgan & Putzig et al., 2025; Sizemore et al., 2026 -- [PSI]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Laying-Odds.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inMars
Laying Odds On The Potential For Martian Water
[PSI] We know Mars has water ice in its polar regions, but astronauts (and their solar powered equipment!) would much rather experience life closer to Mars’ equator. As NASA looks […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Small-Scale Mineral And Microbial Heterogeneities Near A Fumarole At The Furnas Hydrothermal Zone On The Azores
[Life (Basel)]. The Azores are characterized by intense volcanic activity, creating unique environments such as fumarole sites, where geothermal gases and high temperatures drive distinct chemical and biological processes.
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports
Microorganisms Actively Shape Earth’s Ocean Floor
[MARUM]. In August 2023, the German research vessel METEOR set sail on Expedition M192 to the Greek island of Milos with Dr. Solveig Bühring as the chief scientist. The mission […]
![Geometrical and structural layout of the 12-km-thick Martian atmosphere and the 2-m-thick Martian regolith in GEANT4 simulations.-- [physics.ins-det]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Unveiling.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inMars
Unveiling Neutron And Gamma Spectrum At Martian Surface In Presence And Absence Of Hydrogen: A Computational Study Based On GEANT4 Simulations
[physics.ins-det] Motivated by the interactions of the GCR protons with the Martian atmosphere and regolith in the absence and presence of hydrogen, a series of GEANT4 simulations are employed in […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Rock-eating Fungi Flourish Deep Within Earth
[University of Michigan] Hundreds of feet below Earth’s surface, rocks and water teem with fungi and support complex ecosystems of tiny organisms, according to a University of Michigan study, which […]
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Methane Production On Mars-Relevant Clay Minerals And Simulant Regolith
[Microorganisms]. Over the course of Martian history, the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide and potential subsurface molecular hydrogen (H2), in addition to potential surface and subsurface liquid water, suggests that […]
![A close-up of the polygon fractures discovered by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover highlights their honeycomb-like textures. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS [Larger Image]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Curiosity-Mars.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inMars
Curiosity Mars Rover Discovers A Field Of Honeycomb Textures
[NASA] Mission scientists have never seen so many of the many-sided geologic features in one place on the Red Planet.
Posted inMars
Viking Science
[Astrobiology (Journal)] The Viking missions hosted identical payloads on each of two orbiters and landers. All four missions far exceeded their pre-planned operating times and science objectives, with all but […]
Posted inExtinction events
Dinosaur-killing Asteroid Also Created A Dust Cloud That Insulated Earth, Charbroiling Cretaceous Creatures
[Purdue University] Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid about the size of Mount Everest smacked into Earth near where the Yucatan Peninsula is today. That impact created the Chicxulub crater […]