Searching for signs of life is a primary goal of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). However, merely detecting oxygen, methane, or other widely discussed biosignatures is insufficient evidence for a […]
habitability
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Unraveling The Non-equilibrium Chemistry Of The Temperate Sub-Neptune K2-18 b
The search for habitable, Earth-like exoplanets faces major observational challenges due to their small size and faint signals.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Explaining The Mysterious Distribution Of Hydrogen Peroxide On Europa
Southwest Research Institute experiments offer a new view on a hydrogen peroxide chemical cycle on Europa. Carbon-bearing species rising to Europa’s icy surface from a subsurface ocean are irradiated by […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Courses, Habitable Zones, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Science Fiction, SETI & Technosignatures, Status Report
A Terminology And Quantitative Framework For Assessing The Habitability Of Solar System And Extraterrestrial Worlds
The search for extraterrestrial life in the solar system and beyond is a key science driver in astrobiology, planetary science, and astrophysics.
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Answers To The Existence Of Alien Life Might Be Found In Earth’s Deep-sea Volcanoes
While popular culture commonly depicts extraterrestrial life as little green men with large, oval-shaped heads, it’s most likely that if there is life beyond our planet and within our solar […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Hundreds Of TESS Exoplanets Might Be Larger Than We Thought
In new research, University of California, Irvine astronomers describe how more than 200 known exoplanets are likely much larger than previously thought. It’s a finding that could change which distant […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Cubesats and smallsats, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
Building SPARCS, an Ultraviolet Science CubeSat for Exoplanet Habitability Studies, Technology Advancements, and Mission Training
The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) is a NASA-funded 6U-CubeSat mission designed to monitor ultraviolet (UV) radiation from low-mass stars.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean Tides On Asynchronously Rotating Planets Orbiting Low-mass Stars
Planets in the liquid-water habitable zone of low-mass stars experience large tidal forces, 103 to 104 times those on Earth, due to the small distance between the habitable zone and […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Exoplanet Atmospheric Escape Observations with the Habitable Worlds Observatory
The Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2020 highlights the importance of advancing research focused on discovering and characterizing habitable worlds.
Posted inAriel, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Ceres, Enceladus, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Assessing Ocean World Habitability With HWO
The instrument payload of the future Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will span a wide range of wavelengths, including the ultraviolet (UV) region that cannot be easily accessed from the ground […]