The ice-giant planet Uranus, which travels around the Sun tipped on its side, is a weird and mysterious world. Now, in an unprecedented study spanning two decades, researchers using NASA’s […]
Ice world
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Cryobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Plastic Ice VII – A Component of Ice World Interiors?
In everyday life, we typically encounter water in one of three familiar states – solid, liquid or gas. But there are in fact many more phases, some of which – […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
An Icy Worlds Life Detection Strategy Based On Exo-AUV
Icy Worlds like Europa and Enceladus provide conditions for the survival of microorganisms. Conducting life detection in regions with high biological potential, such as the icy shell, ice-water interface and […]
Posted inAlpha Centauri, Astrogeology, Beta Pictoris, Ceres, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Icy Worlds, Jupiter, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Pluto, Proxima Centauri, Saturn, Status Report, tau Ceti, TRAPPIST-1, Uranus, Venus, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Classifications For Exoplanet and Exoplanetary Systems
When a star is described as a spectral class G2V, we know its approximate mass, temperature, age, and size. At more than 5,700 exoplanets discovered, it is a natural developmental […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Cryobiology, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Iceworld Update: New Project To Unlock Earth Life’s Secrets In Extreme Cold
Cambridge researchers are set to explore the uncharted depths of life in the extreme cold, with findings that could reshape our understanding of biology and pave the way for future […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release
Astrobiology Away Team: NASA ORCAA Field Work In Alaska
A group of researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and other institutions spent two weeks on a glacier in Alaska in July 2023 for a project called ORCAA (Ocean Worlds […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Preserving Our Home World’s Cryosphere: World Meteorological Organization
Editor’s note: The Astrobiology community is all excited about two missions that wil; explore the ice worlds orbiting Jupiter with a focus of understanding their potential to host habitable – […]
Posted inEnceladus, Europa, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
EELS: Autonomous Snake-like Robot With Task And Motion Planning Capabilities For Ice World Exploration
Ice worlds are at the forefront of astrobiological interest because of the evidence of subsurface oceans. Enceladus in particular is unique among the icy moons because there are known vent […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Ice Planet Thaw: Earth’s Arctic Could Become Ice Free Within A Decade
The Arctic could see summer days with practically no sea ice as early as the next couple of years, according to a new study out of the University of Colorado […]
Posted inEnceladus, Europa, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
How To Infer Ocean Freezing Rates On Icy Satellites From Measurements Of Ice Thickness
Liquid water oceans are thought to underlie the ice shells of Europa and Enceladus. However, ocean properties can be challenging to measure due to the overlying ice cover.