Habitability
Ocean Circulation Might Be the Key to Finding Habitable Exoplanets
We've found thousands and thousands of exoplanets now. And spacecraft like TESS will likely find thousands and thousands more of…
NASA’s Perseverance Rover is Going to Jezero Crater, Which is Looking Better and Better as a Place to Search for Evidence of Past Life on Mars
In 2018, NASA decided that the landing site for its Mars 2020 Perseverance rover would be the Jezero Crater. At…
The Perfect Stars to Search for Life On Their Planets
We tend to think of our Earthly circumstances as normal. A watery, temperate world orbiting a stable yellow star. A…
TESS Finds its First Earth-Sized World in the Habitable Zone of a Star
NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) has found its first Earth-sized planet located in the habitable zone of its host…
Without a Magnetosphere, Planets Orbiting Flare Stars Don’t Stand a Chance
Earthlings are fortunate. Our planet has a robust magnetic shield. Without out magnetosphere, the Sun's radiation would've probably ended life…
Snowball Exoplanets Might Be Better for Life Than We Thought
When astronomers discover a new exoplanet, one of the first considerations is if the planet is in the habitable zone,…
NASA Promised More Smaller, Earth-size Exoplanets. TESS is Delivering.
When NASA launched TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) in 2018, it had a specific goal. While its predecessor, the Kepler…
Saltwater Similar to the Earth’s Oceans has been Seen on Europa. Another Good Reason Why We Really Need to Visit This Place
Jupiter's moon Europa is an intriguing world. It's the smoothest body in the Solar System, and the sixth-largest moon in…
It Looks Like Plate Tectonics Aren’t Required to Support Life
According to a new study, it is possible that extra-solar planets with no plate tectonics might be capable of supporting…
Was There a Time When the Moon was Habitable?
According to a new study by a European team, the Moon may have been habitable during two periods in the…