Robustly modeling the inner edge of the habitable zone is essential for determining the most promising potentially habitable exoplanets for atmospheric characterization. Global climate models (GCMs) have become the standard […]
habitability
Posted inAstrogeology, Press Release
Would A Deep-Earth Water Cycle Change Our Understanding Of Planetary Evolution?
Every school child learns about the water cycle–evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. But what if there were a deep Earth component of this process happening on geologic timescales that makes […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Breathing New Life Into The Rise Of Oxygen Debate
New research strongly suggests that the distinct ‘oxygenation events’ that created Earth’s breathable atmosphere happened spontaneously, rather than being a consequence of biological or tectonic revolutions. The University of Leeds […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Habitable Age Instead of Location for Terrestrial Worlds
The presence of a liquid solvent is widely regarded as an essential prerequisite for habitability. We investigate the conditions under which worlds outside the habitable zones of stars are capable […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Two Million-year-old Ice Provides Snapshot Of Earth's Greenhouse Gas History
Two million-year old ice from Antarctica recently uncovered by a team of researchers provides a clearer picture into the connections between greenhouse gases and climate in ancient times and will […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Breathing? Thank Volcanoes, Tectonics And Bacteria
Earth’s breathable atmosphere is key for life, and a new study suggests that the first burst of oxygen was added by a spate of volcanic eruptions brought about by tectonics. […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Machine Learning Inference Of The Interior Structure of Low-mass Exoplanets
We explore the application of machine learning based on mixture density neural networks (MDNs) to the interior characterization of low-mass exoplanets up to 25 Earth masses constrained by mass, radius, […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
How to Characterize Habitable Worlds and Signs of Life
The detection of exoplanets orbiting other stars has revolutionized our view of the cosmos. First results suggest that it is teeming with a fascinating diversity of rocky planets, including those […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Study Refines Which Exoplanets Are Potentially Habitable
In order to search for life in outer space, astronomers first need to know where to look. A new Northwestern University study will help astronomers narrow down the search. The […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Characterizing Exoplanet Habitability
Habitability is a measure of an environment’s potential to support life, and a habitable exoplanet supports liquid water on its surface. However, a planet’s success in maintaining liquid water on […]