The rotation of a protoplanetary disc (a disc where planets are being formed) has been observed directly for the very first time by mapping the emissions from the dust grains […]
CNRS
Posted inAstrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release
New Study Confirms That The Oldest Rocks On Earth Are In Northern Canada
A team of Canadian and French researchers has confirmed that northern Quebec is home to the oldest known rocks on Earth, dating back 4.16 billion years.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
The Origin Of Most Meteorites Finally Revealed
An international team led by three researchers from the CNRS, the European Southern Observatory (ESO, Europe), and Charles University (Czech Republic) has successfully demonstrated that 70% of all known meteorite […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Radiation From Massive Stars Shapes Planetary Systems
How do planetary systems such as the Solar System form? To find out, CNRS scientists taking part in an international research team studied a stellar nursery, the Orion Nebula, using […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Press Release
470 Million Year Old Fossil Site From Earth’s Lower Ordovician Period Uncovered In France
Nearly 400 exceptionally well-preserved fossils dating back 470 million years have been discovered in the south of France by two amateur paleontologists.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Extinction events, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Press Release, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Exoplanet Climate: It Takes Nothing To Switch From Habitable To Hell
The Earth is a wonderful blue and green dot covered with oceans and life, while Venus is a yellowish sterile sphere that is not only inhospitable but also sterile. However, […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs
Mars: New Evidence Of An Environment Conducive To The Emergence Of Life
The surface of Mars, unlike the Earth’s, is not constantly renewed by plate tectonics. This has resulted in the preservation of huge areas of terrain remarkable for their abundance in […]
Posted inVenus
Climate Model Shows That Venus Could Never Have Had Oceans
Whether Venus, one of the Solar System’s four terrestrial planets, ever had oceans remains an unsolved puzzle. Although an American study hypothesized that it did, this is now challenged in […]
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Physarum polycephalum Heads For Space
When grown in the laboratory, slime moulds (Physarum polycephalum) can spread over several square metres and double in size in a day. But how will they behave once in space? […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
More Than 5,000 Tons Of Extraterrestrial Dust Fall To Earth Each Year
Every year, our planet encounters dust from comets and asteroids. These interplanetary dust particles pass through our atmosphere and give rise to shooting stars. Some of them reach the ground […]