![The top panel are the inner and outer HZ limits for main-sequence stars as a function of stellar mass, according to (R. K. Kopparapu et al. 2013). The bottom panel is the same but for cloudy evolution brown dwarfs. The solid lines are the inner HZ and the dashed lines are the outer HZ. The difference between objects at the hydrogen-burning threshold arises because R. K. Kopparapu et al. (2013) employed a full radiative–convective atmospheric model, whereas this study assumes a constant planetary Bond albedo of 0.25. All brown dwarfs have [M/H] = +0.0. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-Influence-of-Clouds-and-Deuterium.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
To better understand the potential habitability of planets orbiting brown dwarfs, this work presents a new set of equilibrium temperature evolution tracks. Unlike most previous work that relied on analytic […]
habitability
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Subglacial Weathering May Have Slowed Earth’s Escape From Snowball Earth
A new study led by researchers at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo challenges a long-standing assumption about Earth’s most extreme ice ages. Using numerical geochemical […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics
New Model Defines An Upper Limit To Planetary Radiation Belt Intensity
We all know that stars radiate light and much more. But radiation belts can also surround many other celestial bodies, such as planets.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Global Abiotic Sulfur Cycling on Earth-like Terrestrial Planets
Sulfur is a redox active element that may have helped mediate an electron flow that kickstarted life and which presently is an essential element for all life on Earth. Despite […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Active Learning For Planet Habitability Classification Under Extreme Class Imbalance
The increasing size and heterogeneity of exoplanet catalogs have made systematic habitability assessment challenging, particularly given the extreme scarcity of potentially habitable planets and the evolving nature of their labels.
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Plant Biology, Press Release, Radiation, Space Life Science
Can Yeast Survive On Mars?
Baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is an indispensable ingredient in making bread, beer, and biotechnology products. But this humble organism also holds clues to something more cosmic – how life could […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
The Effect of Planetary Rotation Period on Clouds in a Global Climate Model with a Bin Microphysics Scheme
Clouds are the largest source of uncertainty in climate simulations. For exoplanets, cloud simulation is particularly challenging because of the lack of observational data to tune parameterized cloud models.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Ionic Liquid Biospheres
Liquid is a fundamental requirement for life as we understand it, but whether that liquid has to be water is not known.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The Observation Of Earth-like Exoplanets With Ground-based Telescopes And A Shared Orbiting Starshade
Imaging Earth-like exoplanets around Sun-like stars from the ground is challenging and requires substantial advances in techniques. This Perspective presents and provides the predicted performance of a hybrid space–ground approach […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Habitable Zones, Mars, Press Release, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics
ESA Orbiters Watch A Solar Superstorm Hit Mars
What happens when a solar superstorm hits Mars? Thanks to the European Space Agency’s Mars orbiters, we now know: glitching spacecraft and a supercharged upper atmosphere.