With the arrival of JWST observations of the TRAPPIST-1 planets, it is timely to reassess the contribution of tidal heating to their heat budget. JWST thermal phase curves could reveal […]
Habitable Zone
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Jupiter, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Jupiter’s Moon Europa Has A Seafloor That May Be Quiet And Lifeless
The giant planet Jupiter has nearly 100 known moons, yet none have captured the interest and imagination of astronomers and space scientists quite like Europa, an ice-shrouded world that is […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering, TRAPPIST-1
Dearth of Photosynthetically Active Radiation Suggests No Complex Life on Late M-Star Exoplanets
The rise of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere during the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) occurred about 2.3 billion years ago. There is considerably greater uncertainty for the origin of oxygenic […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mars, Press Release
Thin Ice May Have Protected Lake Water On Frozen Mars
Using a climate model adapted for Martian conditions, a team of researchers from Rice University discovered that lakes in locations such as Gale Crater, near Mars’ equator, could have persisted […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
NASA Selects Proposals To Advance The Habitable Worlds Observatory Astrobiology Mission Concept
NASA announced Monday the selection of industry proposals to advance technologies for the agency’s Habitable Worlds Observatory concept – the first mission that would directly image Earth-like planets around stars […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Precise Physical Parameters, Habitability, and Orbital Stability of Sun-like SB2 Systems: HD 130669, HD 184467, HD 191854, and HD 214222
This work analyzes four Sun-like double-lined spectroscopic binary (SB2) systems by combining visual and spectroscopic observational data with Al-Wardat’s atmospheric modeling method to accurately determine their fundamental parameters.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics
Habitability Of Exoplanets Orbiting Flaring Stars
As of late 2025 there are about 70 exoplanets that meet the formal criterion of having equilibrium temperatures allowing the presence of liquid water and about 50 of them orbit […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Stellar Cartography, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Why Estimating η⊕ Is Difficult: A Kepler-Centric Perspective
η⊕, the occurrence rate of rocky habitable zone exoplanets orbiting Sun-like stars, is of great interest to both the astronomical community and the general public. The Kepler space telescope has […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Venus
Exoplanets Synchronization: Learning From Venus’ Retrograde Rotation
Context: Planets in the HZ can have dense atmospheres affecting their rotations. Over time, the rotation tends to stationary solutions that can be synchronous or asynchronous.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report
Multicolour Validation Of Two Temperate Mini-Neptunes Around M-dwarf Habitable Zones
For small planets orbiting within the habitable zones of their host stars, multicolour validation via photometric transit observations offers an efficient alternative to prioritize targets before intensive radial-velocity follow-up, thereby […]