University of Florida Archives - Astrobiology

Time-dependent geoid predictions. Geoid anomalies are shown at: (A) 65 Ma, (B) 40 Ma, and (C) 0 Ma, predicted from the time-dependent reconstruction of 3D mantle structure at 70 Ma. (D) The geoid anomalies based on present-day GyPSuM tomography model. In all cases, the V1 viscosity model is employed, and the geoid predictions are represented by a spherical harmonic expansion truncated at degree 32. The yellow star marks the present-day geographical location of Earth’s lowest point for nonhydrostatic geoid based on the Chambat et al. ellipticity correction. The magenta star marks the location of the maximum geoid depression after removal of the gravitational signal generated by isostatically compensated crustal heterogeneity. This crust-corrected, nonhydrostatic geoid was employed as a constraint in the derivation of the GyPSuM tomography model. The black and grey lines display the reconstruction position of the plate boundaries and coastlines. Regional variance reduction values over Antarctica (lat ≤ –60°) are: 94% (observation, Fig. 1B, vs. initial GyPSuM model, Fig. 2D), 88% (observation, Fig. 1B, vs. prediction, Fig. 2C), and 96% (initial GyPSuM model, Fig. 2D, vs. prediction, Fig. 2C). -- Scientific Reports

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release

Antarctica Sits Above Earth’s Strongest Gravity Hole

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2026March 3, 2026

Gravity feels reliable — stable and consistent enough to count on. But reality is far stranger than our intuition.

Humans on Mars -- NASA

Mars, Missions & Hardware, People Of Astrobiology, Press Release, Sample Return

UF Astraeus Faculty Help Shape National Science Strategy For Human Exploration Of Mars

by Keith CowingFebruary 6, 2026February 6, 2026

Key leadership roles in a major National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report released in December were filled by University of Florida faculty affiliated with the Astraeus Space Institute.

Air eDNA is vacuumed up from Dublin using simple laboratory equipment and an air filter. -- Nature Ecology & Evolution

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Tricorder Tech: Biosignature Detection: DNA Floating In The Air Tracks Life Forms

by Keith CowingJune 9, 2025June 9, 2025

Editor’s note: with recent speculation about the potential habitability of the clouds of Venus and the long-hypothesized notion of airborne life forms on Saturn and Jupiter these studies from Earth […]

The relative sizes of the three known planets in the HD 63433 system, with the young Earth-like planet with a lava surface closest to the star. The other two planets are mini-Neptunes. CREDIT Ben Capistrant

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release

Young Earth-like Planet With Lava Oceans

by Keith CowingFebruary 27, 2024February 27, 2024

Astronomers have discovered an extreme Earth-like planet that likely hosts lava oceans as it roasts next to its sun-like star near the Big Dipper constellation.

The full-field star-subtracted image as described in Section 3.5. This image captures extended recombination line emission from Pfβ and Huepsilon in F466N (466m410, continuum-subtracted F466N, is shown in red) and Brα in F405N (405m410, continuum-subtracted F405N, is shown in blue), highlighting The Brick as the dark cloud spanning the image. -- University of Florida

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Interstellar, Press Release

Astrochemistry: Dark Galactic Region “The Brick” Explained With Webb Telescope Findings

by Keith CowingDecember 6, 2023December 6, 2023

In a recent study led by University of Florida astronomer Adam Ginsburg, groundbreaking findings shed light on a mysterious dark region at the center of the Milky Way. The turbulent […]

a, High Resolution Imaging ScienceExperiment (HiRISE) image of the region studied with the rover’s traverse marked in white, the boundary between the Séítah and Máaz fm delineated by the light blue line, and each rock target labelled. Scale bar, 100 m. b, Average number of fluorescence detections (out of 1,296 points) from survey scans for each target interrogated by SHERLOC, arranged in order of observation. *The acquisition conditions were different for dust-covered natural targets as compared to relatively dust-free abraded targets, possibly resulting in reduced detections. c, WATSON images of natural (red box) and abraded targets (Máaz is the blue box, Séítah is the green box) analysed in this study, with SHERLOC survey scan footprints outlined in white. Two survey scans were performed on Guillaumes, Dourbes and Quartier. Sol 141 imaging on Foux had an incomplete overlap of WATSON imaging and SHERLOC spectroscopy mapping. Scale bars, 5 mm. -- Nature

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Press Release

A New Study Reveals Evidence Of Diverse Organic Material On Mars

by Keith CowingJuly 13, 2023July 13, 2023

A new study featuring data from the NASA Mars Perseverance rover reports on an instrumental detection potentially consistent with organic molecules on the Martian surface, hinting toward past habitability of […]