Astrobiology
WASP-12b: A Carbon Rich Exoplanet
[/caption] Since its discovery in 2008, WASP-12b has been an unusual planet. This 1.4 Jovian mass, gas giant lies so…
I Sing the Bacterium Arsenic: Post-NASA Press Conference Reflections
A few favorite quotes and personal thoughts from NASA’s astrobiology press conference: “So we end a week of fiction and…
NASA Finds a “Weird” Kind of Life on Earth
No, NASA has not found life on another planet, but has found life here on Earth that is almost “alien”…
Calm Down: NASA Hasn’t Found any Aliens
[/caption] You may have heard in your wanderings through the blogosphere and in the internet today that NASA will be…
Buckyballs Could Be Plentiful in the Universe
[/caption] Earlier this year, astronomers using the Spitzer Space Telescope announced they had found – for the first time --…
Probing Exoplanets
Sometimes topics segue perfectly. With the recent buzz about habitable planets, followed by the raining on the parade articles we've…
Habitable Environments Could Exist Underground on Mars
[/caption] Data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter suggests that there could be habitable environments underground on Mars – in the…
Titan’s Atmosphere Could Produce Building Blocks of Life
[/caption] Saturn’s moon Titan has long been thought to be an analog of early Earth, and a recent experiment demonstrates…
UN May Appoint Ambassador to Visiting Aliens
[/caption] UPDATE: OK, this seemed like a cool story, reported by many news sources, but apparently, it isn't true. The…
Tight Binaries are ‘Death Stars’ for Planets
[/caption] Astronomers studying double star systems where the two stars are extremely close have found a pattern of destruction. While…