[LIFE] Iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) were both foundational to early metabolism, yet their biological trajectories diverged as Earth’s surface redox state changed. Here, we integrate mineral chemistry network analysis, […]
habitability
![A schematic showing the key abitoic (black dashed boxes) and biotic (white dashed box) processes occurring in the model (reproduced from Nicholson et al. 2022). -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/A-generalised-microbial.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
A Generalised Microbial Cell Model For Methane Biosignature Predictions
[astro-ph.EP] The majority of potentially habitable planets detected to date are likely quite different to Earth, for example, being larger in radius and mass, differing rotation rates and with host […]
![Potential environments for the origin of life and the corresponding roles of minerals. (a) In the deep-sea hydrothermal vent hypothesis, metal sulfides play a critical role in the formation of chemical precursors and building blocks. (b) In terrestrial hot spring, minerals may concentrate and stabilize molecular building blocks, catalyze polymerization under wet–dry cycling conditions, and provide protection against environmental stresses. (c) Extraterrestrial input of organic matter through meteorites, comets and IDPs. Minerals are the carrier and preserver of organic compounds and may possibly take part in the prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds in extraterrestrial environments. (Background images are modified based on AI-generated illustrations.) -- [Fundamental Research]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-role-of-minerals.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
The Role Of Minerals In Prebiotic Evolution: Implications For Identifying Worlds With The Potential For Life’s Origin
[Fundamental Research] Understanding the origin of life requires explaining how abiotic molecules transitioned into the first living systems within plausible geological settings. Increasing evidence suggests minerals as active participants in […]
Posted inSETI & Technosignatures
Multistage Rocket Optimization, Geophysics, and the Spacefaring Envelope of Habitable Super-Earths
[astro-ph.EP] Habitability is typically defined by whether a planet can support life, rather than whether it can support a technological civilization capable of escaping its gravity well.
Posted inMars
Hematite Is A Mineralogical Marker Of Ancient Climate Change On Mars
[Science via PubMed] The ancient climate of Mars changed from warm to cold surface conditions. This climate transition is demonstrated by geomorphological evidence but lacks suitable mineralogical indicators.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Nearby “Super Earth” May Be A Better Candidate For Life Than Previously Thought
[UT Austin] Using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, astronomers have taken a closer look at a nearby exoplanet and discovered it may be more Earth-like than previously thought. The […]
Posted inMars
Martian Dust Storms May Ggenerate Atmospheric Electrical Conditions That Could Impact Mars Missions
[UAH] A new study by a doctoral researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, suggests global dust storms on Mars […]
Posted inLava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds
Coupled AtmospHere Interior modeL Intercomparison (CHILI). I. Evolutionary Modelling — Primordial Magma Oceans of Earth and Venus
[astro-ph.EP] Earth and Venus represent two evolutionary outcomes arising from initially molten ‘magma ocean’ periods, followed by lifetimes of chemical and geophysical divergence. Their physics is common to all rocky […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
A New Earth-like Exoplanet Discovered
[UC Irvine] A team led by astronomers at the University of California, Irvine reports the discovery of a new Earth-like exoplanet orbiting a star about 25 light-years from our solar […]