The traditional definition of the circumstellar habitable zone (HZ) focuses on liquid water, but neglects the crucial role of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in prebiotic chemistry.
habitability
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Stellar Cartography
Asteroseismic Modelling Of Main-sequence Solar-like Stars And Kepler Exoplanet Host Stars With The FICO Procedure I. Catalogue Of Fundamental Stellar Properties
We present detailed asteroseismic modelling of 95 main-sequence solar-like stars and Kepler exoplanet host stars using the FICO procedure, a three-step method that combines forward and inverse techniques that enables […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The Effect Of Spectral Resolution On Biosignature Detection Via Reflected Light Observations Of The Earth Through Time
NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will search for biosignatures on Earth-like exoplanets using reflected light spectroscopy.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Plant Biology, Status Report
Is Constitutive Red-shift An Advantage For Oxygenic Photosynthesis Under M-dwarf Starlight? Insights From Acaryochloris marina sp. str. Moss Beach
In the next years, several space missions will search for evidence of life on exoplanets, focusing on robust biosignatures associated with oxygenic photosynthesis, including atmospheric oxygen accumulation and the Vegetation […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
PEEPSS: Photonic-Enabled ExoPlanet Spectroscopic Sensor for the Habitable Worlds Observatory
The next few years will be critical for technology development for Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) in its mission to search for and characterize extrasolar planets.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Science Goals and Objectives for the Dragonfly Titan Rotorcraft Relocatable Lander
NASA’s Dragonfly mission will send a rotorcraft lander to the surface of Titan in the mid-2030s. Dragonfly’s science themes include investigation of Titan’s prebiotic chemistry, habitability, and potential chemical biosignatures […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Toward Inferring the Surface Fluxes of Biosignature Gases on Rocky Exoplanets from Telescope Spectra
The James Webb Space Telescope and the future Habitable Worlds Observatory aim to discover exoplanet atmospheric spectra that detect life. Currently, most existing spectral “retrieval” algorithms focus on inferring the […]
![[TOP] Time evolution of H2 mixing ratio for an atmosphere with 100% H2O. The heatmaps display vertical profiles over the 360-day simulation duration, with pressure (in bars) on the y-axis and time (in days) on the x-axis. The upper row shows results from the YMDF and FF models, while the bottom row corresponds to the FF 400 K and the CF model, as indicated on the panels. [BOTTOM] Heatmaps of CH4 mixing ratio in the atmosphere with 1% H2O over the 360-day simulation period for an atmosphere containing 100% water vapour analogous to the previous Fig. 8 -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Stellar-Flare-driven-Evolution.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Stellar Flare-driven Evolution Of Primordial Early Exo-Earth Atmospheres: Insights From A Young M Dwarf Flare Model
Context. M dwarfs are key targets for terrestrial exoplanet studies, with prospects for atmospheric spectroscopy. However, strong stellar magnetic activity and frequent flaring require modelling efforts to assess their impact […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Planets Need More Water To Support Life Than Scientists Previously Thought
Unfortunately for science fiction fans, desert worlds outside our solar system are unlikely to host life, according to new research from University of Washington. Scientists show that an Earth-sized planet […]
Posted inStatus Report
Continuing To Advance European High Contrast Imaging Research And Development Towards HWO And LIFE
The European Research and Development for Space based High Contrast Imaging II Workshop, held at MPIA in May 2025, advanced Europe strategic coordination in support of future exoplanet imaging missions […]