Habitable planets require life-essential elements, like nitrogen and phosphorus. Understanding how those elements ended up in a planetary body can give insight into the formation of the solar system and […]
Rice University
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 inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Ice Giant, Status Report
Research On Super-Earths And Mini-Neptunes Suggests More Earth-like Planets May Exist
A new study by Rice University researchers Sho Shibata and Andre Izidoro presents a compelling new model for the formation of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes — planets that are 1 to […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Evidence For Hidden Water Reservoirs And Rare Magmas On Ancient Mars
A new study explores how variations in Mars’ crustal thickness during its ancient history may have influenced the planet’s magmatic evolution and hydrological systems. The research, published in Earth and […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Comets and Asteroids, Fossils & Paleontology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Understanding The Structure Of Ancient Earth
A team of researchers has made strides in understanding the formation of massif-type anorthosites, enigmatic rocks that only formed during the middle part of Earth’s history. These plagioclase-rich igneous rock […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Press Release, Space Weather & Heliophysics
Exploring The Effects Of Stellar Magnetism On Potential Habitability Of Exoplanets
Interest in Earth-like planets orbiting within the habitable zone of their host stars has surged, driven by the quest to discover life beyond our solar system. But the habitability of […]
Posted inTRAPPIST-1
Orbital Harmony Limits Late Arrival Of Water On TRAPPIST-1 Planets
Seven Earth-sized planets orbit the star TRAPPIST-1 in near-perfect harmony, and U.S. and European researchers have used that harmony to determine how much physical abuse the planets could have withstood […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Nightside Radio Could Help Reveal Exoplanet Details
We can’t detect them yet, but radio signals from distant solar systems could provide valuable information about the characteristics of their planets. A paper by Rice University scientists describes a […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
How Planets Form Controls Elements Essential For Life
The prospects for life on a given planet depend not only on where it forms but also how, according to Rice University scientists. Planets like Earth that orbit within a […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Much Of Earth's Nitrogen Was Locally Sourced
Where did Earth’s nitrogen come from? Rice University scientists show one primordial source of the indispensable building block for life was close to home. The isotopic signatures of nitrogen in […]