The earliest known eukaryotes, the ancestors of all complex life on Earth, lived in oxygenated, shallow marine environments nearly 1.7 billion years ago, according to a new study led by […]
habitable zones
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Thermal Decomposition and Prebiotic Formation of Adenosine Phosphates in Simulated Early-Earth Evaporative Settings
Adenosine nucleotides and polyphosphates play a significant role in biochemistry, from participating in the formation of genetic material to serving as metabolic energy currency.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Status Report
Life On The Edge: Bioprospecting Extremophiles For Astrobiology
Discovering exoplanets and satellites in habitable zones within and beyond our solar system has sparked intrigue in planetary setting varieties that could support life.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1
Airy Worlds Or Barren Rocks? On The Survivability Of Secondary Atmospheres Around The TRAPPIST-1 Planets
In this work we aim to determine the atmospheric survivability of the TRAPPIST-1 planets by modelling the response of the upper atmosphere to incoming stellar high-energy radiation.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Water Condensation Zones Around Main Sequence Stars
Understanding the set of conditions that allow rocky planets to have liquid water on their surface — in the form of lakes, seas or oceans — is a major scientific […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Earth’s Soil Microbiome Is Under Threat From Climate Change
Using a novel method to detect microbial activity in biological soil crusts, or biocrusts, after they are wetted, a Penn State-led research team in a new study uncovered clues that […]
![Phase curves of the normalised total and normalised linearly polarised flux of a cloudy planet with a wavy ocean surface and an Earth-like atmosphere in an edge-on orbit (adapted from Trees & Stam 2019). The wind speed over the ocean—which determines the wave height (Cox & Munk 1954)—is 7 m/s, and the clouds consist of spherical water droplets. The cloud coverage fraction is 0.5, and while the cloud pattern is patchy, the glint is always cloud-free. The fluxes are normalised such that the total (i.e., unpolarised + polarised) flux equals the planet’s geometric albedo at phase angle 𝛼 = 0 ◦ . In the bottom panel, we illustrate the scattering angle ranges of glories, rainbows, Rayleigh scattering, and ocean glint. Note that the features in the actual curves partly overlap. The glory illustration is taken from Zakovryashin & Prigarin (2020); all other illustrations are from unsplash.com [1, 2, 3]. This figure is best viewed in colour. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/chasing-1.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Chasing Rainbows And Ocean Glints: Inner Working Angle Constraints For The Habitable Worlds Observatory
NASA is engaged in planning for a Habitable Worlds Observatory (HabWorlds), a coronagraphic space mission to detect rocky planets in habitable zones and establish their habitability.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report
The CARMENES Search For Exoplanets Around M Dwarfs. A Sub-Neptunian Mass Planet In The Habitable Zone Of HN Lib
We report the discovery of HN Lib b, a sub-Neptunian mass planet orbiting the nearby (d≈ = 6.25 pc) M4.0 V star HN Lib detected by our CARMENES radial-velocity (RV) […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Venus
Spin Evolution Of Venus-like Planets Subjected To Gravitational And Thermal Tides
The arrival of powerful instruments will provide valuable data for the characterization of rocky exoplanets. It is then crucial to accurately model the dynamical state of exoplanets.
Posted inHabitable Zones
Flares And Rotation Of M Dwarfs With Habitable Zones Accessible To TESS Planet Detections
We characterize the magnetic activity of M dwarfs to provide the planet community with information on the energy input from the star; in particular, in addition to the frequency of […]