[University of Chicago] In the search for extraterrestrial life, it makes sense to first look for rocky planets with an atmosphere, like Earth. Without an atmosphere, a planet can’t have […]
Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds
Posted inVenus
The Venus Benchmark: Resolving Degeneracies in Terrestrial Exoplanet Spectra with DAVINCI
[astro-ph.EP]. The characterization of terrestrial exoplanets with thick, CO2-dominated atmospheres via transmission and emission spectroscopy is limited by degeneracies between atmospheric composition, cloud structure, and surface conditions.
Posted inVenus
Study: Peptides Can Form Well-defined Structures In Harsh, Venus-like Conditions
[MIT] When exploring solar system bodies for signs of past or present life, scientists have mainly focused on planets that have (or had) a liquid surface similar to Earth’s. However, […]
![Global Temperature contour maps of Venus with VEX RO serving as the primary reference dataset. The data binning is the same as in Figure 4. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Study-on.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inVenus
Study On The Venusian Atmospheric Thermal Structure: A Comparative Analysis Between VEX/Akatsuki And Venus-GRAM/VCD
[astro-ph.EP] We investigate the thermal structure of the Venusian middle atmosphere between 45 and 80 km using radio occultation (RO) measurements from Venus Express and Akatsuki spanning 2006-2024.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
An Evolving Cosmic Shoreline and Sandbar Bounding the Rocky Airless Valley
[astro-ph.EP] Recent JWST observations challenge the traditional ‘cosmic shoreline’ from both sides, revealing thick volatile atmospheres on the hottest close-in ‘lava worlds,’ where irradiation should drive the most extreme escape, […]
![An artist’s rendering of “cosmic sandbar” planet TOI-561b orbiting its star, with its atmosphere illuminated. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford [STScI])](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Why-Some.jpg?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inLava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds
Why Some Planets Have Theory-defying Atmospheres
[Stanford University] Stanford researchers have offered a compelling explanation for why some sizzling, lava-covered worlds nestled tightly around their stars can keep hold of their atmospheres. At such close quarters, […]
Posted inMissions & Hardware
Planetary Recon: Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys
[NASA] This proposal explores a new class of reconnaissance spacecraft that map minerals from orbit using Raman spectroscopy during high-speed flybys–without landing, sample return, or extended dwell. Editor’s note: for […]
Posted inIo
Lava World Recon: Juno Measures Subsurface Temperature Of Io
[SwRI] NASA’s Juno mission has made the first direct measurements of the temperature below the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io, which reveal significant heating in the upper few feet of […]
Posted inVenus
Venus: Dead? Far From It
[ETH Zurich] Simulations conducted by researchers at ETH Zurich suggest a strong likelihood that Venus’s rift valleys are still geologically active rather than being mere relics of a bygone era, […]
Posted inIo
Lava World Recon: Juno Studies Io’s Volcanoes
[NASA] NASA’s Juno mission has provided the first measurements of the temperature below the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io, revealing significant heating within the shallow subsurface of the most volcanically […]