Astrobiology missions to ocean worlds in our solar system must overcome both scientific and technological challenges due to extreme temperature and radiation conditions, long communication times, and limited bandwidth.
Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Microbial Wonders In Earth’s Saltiest Waters
The study delves into hypersaline lakes in Xinjiang, China, exploring the genetic and metabolic diversity of microbial communities termed “microbial dark matters”.
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Underwater Droid AUV “Ran” Has Gone Missing Under An Antarctic Glacier
The unmanned underwater vehicle Ran has gone missing under a glacier in Antarctica. The vehicle, owned by the University of Gothenburg, is one of three similar in the whole world […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Societal Issues, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Exploring The Undiscovered Potential Of Deep Sea Microbial Ecosystems And Establishing Sustainable Thresholds For Their Preservation
We’re publishing this article today in advance of a COP28 talk entitled “Ocean biodiscovery, capacity development and equitable access to ocean biodiversity data” that Emma Bolton, Ocean Research Lead at […]
Posted inEnceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mimas, Saturn, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Long-Term Evolution of the Saturnian System
Here we present the current state of knowledge on the long-term evolution of Saturn’s moon system due to tides within Saturn. First we provide some background on tidal evolution, orbital […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Majority Of Water Hides Deep In The Interiors Of Exoplanets
Water is an important component of exoplanets, with its distribution, i.e., whether at the surface or deep inside, fundamentally influencing the planetary properties.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Modeling Ocean Dynamics On Earth: Applications For Understanding Other Water Worlds
Editor’s note: one of the things we are looking for as we examine the icy water worlds in our own solar system and exoplanets circling other stars are oceans. Earth […]
Posted inEuropa, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Oceanography Of Ice-Covered Moons
NASA-supported scientists have published a review of current knowledge regarding how ice-covered moons operate compared to Earth. The paper focuses on the interaction between ice and the liquid ocean of […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Confirmation Of An Ancient Lake On Mars Builds Excitement For Perseverance Rover’s Samples
If life ever existed on Mars, the Perseverance rover’s verification of lake sediments at the base of the Jezero crater reinforces the hope that traces might be found in the […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Hubble Finds Water Vapour In The Atmosphere Of Small Exoplanet GJ 9827d
Astronomers are intrigued when finding evidence of water vapour on exoplanets. Based on observations with the Hubble Space Telescope, a recent example is the planet GJ 9827d, which may have […]