The idea that the young Earth had a thicker atmosphere turns out to be wrong. New research from the University of Washington uses bubbles trapped in 2.7 billion-year-old rocks to […]
University of Washington
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Searching for Extraterrestrials Who Might Have Found Us First
Are we alone in the universe? To answer this question, astronomers have been using a variety of methods in the past decades to search for habitable planets and for the […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Avoiding False Positives in the Search for Living Worlds
Research from the University of Washington-based Virtual Planetary Laboratory published Feb. 26 in Astrophysical Journal Letters will help astronomers better identify — and thus rule out — “false positives” in […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Moon, Press Release
Phase of the Moon affects Amount of Rainfall
When the moon is high in the sky, it creates bulges in the planet’s atmosphere that creates imperceptible changes in the amount of rain that falls below.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Early Earth's Haze May Give Clue to Habitability Elsewhere in Space
An atmospheric haze around a faraway planet — like the one which probably shrouded and cooled the young Earth — could show that the world is potentially habitable, or even […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
First 3-D Simulation of Exotic Clouds on an Exoplanet
Scientists have catalogued nearly 2,000 exoplanets around stars near and far. While most of these are giant and inhospitable, improved techniques and spacecraft have uncovered increasingly smaller worlds. The day […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Habitability Index Devised as a Guide to Search for Life
Powerful telescopes are coming soon. Where exactly shall we point them? Astronomers with the University of Washington’s Virtual Planetary Laboratory have created a way to compare and rank exoplanets to […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Radiation
Earth-like planets Around Small Stars May Have Magnetic Fields Aiding Chances for Life
Earth-like planets orbiting close to small stars probably have magnetic fields that protect them from stellar radiation and help maintain surface conditions that could be conducive to life. A planet’s […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
Earth's Extremes Point The Way to Extraterrestrial Life
Bizarre creatures that go years without water. Others that can survive the vacuum of open space. Some of the most unusual organisms found on Earth provide insights for Washington State […]
Posted inWater/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Seafloor Hot Springs Significant Source of Iron in Earth's Oceans
At the bottom of the sea, volcanic and magmatic forces create hot springs that spew super-heated water into the deep ocean. Hot, acidic water scours metals from Earth’s crust, and […]