Planets around other stars need to be prepared for extreme weather conditions, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) XMM-Newton that examined […]
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Chandra X-ray Observatory Checks The Habitability Of Exoplanets
Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) XMM-Newton, astronomers are exploring whether nearby stars could host habitable exoplanets, based on whether they emit radiation that could destroy […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Planets Form In Organic Soups With Different Ingredients
Astronomers have mapped out the chemicals inside of planetary nurseries in extraordinary detail. The newly unveiled maps reveal the locations of dozens of molecules within five protoplanetary disks — regions […]
Posted inSpace Weather & Heliophysics
The Give And Take Of Mega-flares From Stars
The long relationships between stars and the planets around them – including the Sun and the Earth – may be even more complex than previously thought. This is one conclusion […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Chemistry In The Turbulent Interstellar Medium
Over two hundred molecules have been discovered in space, some (like Buckminsterfullerene) very complex with carbon atoms. Besides being intrinsically interesting, these molecules radiate away heat, helping giant clouds of […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Ultraviolet Light May Be Ultra Important In Search For Life
In everyday life, ultraviolet, or UV, light earns a bad reputation for being responsible for sunburns and other harmful effects on humans. However, research suggests that UV light may have […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
There's More To Life Than The Habitable Zone
Two separate teams of scientists have identified major challenges for the development of life in what has recently become one of the most famous exoplanet systems, TRAPPIST-1. The teams, both […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Venus-like Exoplanet Might Have Oxygen Atmosphere, But Not Life
The distant planet GJ 1132b intrigued astronomers when it was discovered last year. Located just 39 light-years from Earth, it might have an atmosphere despite being baked to a temperature […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Press Release
Is Earth Life Premature from a Cosmic Perspective?
The universe is 13.8 billion years old, while our planet formed just 4.5 billion years ago. Some scientists think this time gap means that life on other planets could be […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
The First Life In The Universe May Have Arisen on Carbon Planets
Our Earth consists of silicate rocks and an iron core with a thin veneer of water and life. But the first potentially habitable worlds to form might have been very […]