[UT Austin] Using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, astronomers have taken a closer look at a nearby exoplanet and discovered it may be more Earth-like than previously thought. The […]
University of Texas at Austin
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Scientists Reveal Disease Genes From Reconstruction Of Ancestor To All Complex Life
A University of Texas at Austin-led team has reconstructed the most detailed map to date of the molecular machines that carried out the functions of life in an ancient ancestor […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Sample Return
Wrinkly Rocks May Actually Be A Fossilized Microbial Community
In 2016 while hiking on a hillside in Morocco, geologist Rowan Martindale saw something that made her stop in her tracks: a slab of sedimentary rock covered in a wrinkly […]
Posted inExtinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Evidence Of ‘lightning-fast’ Evolution Found After Dinosaur-killing Asteroid Impact
The asteroid that struck the Earth 66 million years ago devastated life across the planet, wiping out the dinosaurs and other organisms in a hail of fire and catastrophic climate […]
Posted inCareer Opportunities, Education and Outreach, Habitable Zones, Status Report
UT Austin Habitability Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship
The Astronomy Department and the Center for Planetary Systems Habitability (CPSH) at the University of Texas at Austin invite applications for an institutional prize postdoctoral fellowship.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mars, Press Release
Volcanic Emissions Of Reactive Sulfur Gases May Have Shaped Early Mars Climate, Making It More Hospitable To Life
While the early Mars climate remains an open question, a new study suggests its atmosphere may have been hospitable to life due to volcanic activity which emitted sulfur gases that […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Thick Clay Layers On Mars May Have Been A Stable Place For Ancient Life
The planet Mars is home to thick layers of clay that can span hundreds of feet. Since they need water to form, these outcrops have long been of interest to […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mars, Press Release
The Missing Link In The Early Martian Water Cycle
Billions of years ago, water flowed on the surface of Mars. But scientists have an incomplete picture of how the Red Planet’s water cycle worked.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Tethys
How Earth’s Mantle Activity Drove Humans And Animals Into Asia And Africa
What roils beneath the Earth’s surface may feel a world away, but the activity can help forge land masses that dictate ocean circulation, climate patterns, and even animal activity and […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Mars, Press Release, Space Weather & Heliophysics
Molten Martian Core Could Explain Red Planet’s Magnetic Quirks
Like Earth, Mars once had a strong magnetic field that shielded its thick atmosphere from the solar wind. But now only the magnetic imprint remains. What’s long baffled scientists, though, […]