CU Boulder geologist Brian Hynek has helped to document what may be a unique kind of ecosystem on Earth—and a possible window into the earliest stages of life on this […]
AGU
Posted inEducation and Outreach, Intelligence & Language, Interstellar, SETI & Technosignatures, Societal Issues, Status Report
Message In A Bottle – An Update To The Golden Record: 1. Objectives And Key Content Of The Message
In the first part of this series, we delve into the foundational aspects of “Message in a Bottle (MIAB)” (henceforth referred to as MIAB). This study builds upon the legacy […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Impact events, Press Release
Earth’s Most Ancient Impact Craters Are Disappearing
Earth’s oldest craters could give scientists critical information about the structure of the early Earth and the composition of bodies in the solar system as well as help to interpret […]
Posted inCryobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Understanding The Structure Of Enceladus’ Ice Shell
Enceladus is a dynamic icy moon of Saturn and a leading target for future planetary missions focused on the search for life beyond Earth.
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Cryobiology, Life Support Systems, Press Release, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science
Freeze-drying Algae Can Awaken From Cryostasis And Could Support Spacecraft Life Support Systems
Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys contain some of Earth’s coldest and driest deserts.
Posted inAstrogeology, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Movement Of The Solar System Through The Milky Way’s Galactic Spiral Arms Helped Form Earth’s First Continents
A new study of zircon crystals from two of Earth’s oldest continents indicates that the formation of Earth’s continental crust goes through cycles, with periods of increased crust production roughly […]
Posted inEnceladus
On Enceladus Expansion Cracks Lets An Inner Ocean Boil Out
In 2006, the Cassini spacecraft recorded geyser curtains shooting forth from “tiger stripe” fissures near the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus — sometimes as much as 200 kilograms of […]
Posted inEnceladus
Icequakes Likely Rumble Along Geyser-spitting Fractures In Saturn's Icy Moon Enceladus
Tidal stresses may be causing constant icequakes on Saturn’s sixth largest moon Enceladus, a world of interest in the search for life beyond Earth, according to a new study. A […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
Alien Raindrops Are Surprisingly Like Rain On Earth
Raindrops on other planets and moons are close to the size of raindrops on Earth despite having different chemical compositions and falling through vastly different atmospheres, a new study finds. […]
Posted inAstrogeology
Early Earth's Hot Mantle May Have Led To An Archean Water World
A vast global ocean may have covered early Earth during the early Archean eon, 4 to 3.2 billion years ago, a side effect of having a hotter mantle than today, […]