Scientists have spent an incredible amount of manpower attempting to determine what conditions support life, and why Earth is so perfect for living things. Now, a researcher simulated 100,000 planets to try to determine how lucky we are that Earth has remained habitable for as long as it has. As it turns out, we’re incredibly …
We have yet to find evidence of life outside of Earth, but it may still be hiding within our own solar system. Scientists say that the ingredients for life may exist on some of the moons in our system, including the icy worlds that orbit Uranus. If alien life does exist there, it is likely …
A new study suggests that habitable exoplanets may be plentiful in our home galaxy, The Milky Way. Researchers crunched data on thousands of exoplanets that were discovered using NASA’s Kepler space telescope. Unfortunately, while future advancements in telescope technology may allow us to spot habitable worlds, we likely won’t be able to visit them for …
Saturn’s bizarre moon Titan has carbon-based compounds in its atmosphere that may be a precursor to life. The surface of Titan is covered in lakes of hydrocarbons which are toxic to life as we know it, but there may be an ocean of liquid water deep beneath the surface. Future missions could probe that ocean …
A new study suggests that Earth’s Moon may have been vital to the protection of Earth’s atmosphere early on in its development. A sort of “lunar shield” may have protected the atmosphere long from the Sun, giving life on Earth the opportunity to take root. Missions to the Moon in the coming years could prove …
NASA found the clues to life on Venus almost four decades ago but never realized it. A probe that was sent to Venus back in 1978 returned readings that showed the presence of what appears to be phosphine, which may be produced by biological processes. The data supports the recent research that found phosphine in …
The Perseverance rover is currently on route to Mars, and once it gets there it will have the ability to hunt for signs of life like no other rover before it. The rover is equipped with a special X-ray scanning tool that can identify the presence of chemical signatures on rocks. Finding signs of past …
A space probe is about to fly by Venus, and it could help search for the faint signatures of life in the planet’s atmosphere. The BepiColombo probe is slated to make a pass of Venus next month, but it will be at a great distance from the planet, possibly minimizing the chances of detecting a …
Researchers have examined various possibilities for how life may have arrived at Venus. Chemical signatures in the atmosphere suggest the possibility of life, but no confirmation has been made. One possibility is that Venus got its life from Earth. In case you hadn’t heard, the biggest scientific news of the month is the discovery of …
Space science researcher Gareth Dorrian runs down his top four worlds with the possibility of hosting life. Planets like Mars and icy moons like Europa could hold life in some form, though we don’t know yet what form they could take. Missions to most of these worlds are already either happening or are planned for …
