How cosmic rays may have shaped early life
Before there were animals, bacteria or even DNA on Earth, self-replicating molecules were slowly evolving their way from simple matter to life beneath a...
New decoder could help search for habitable exoplanet
After examining a dozen types of suns and a roster of planet surfaces, Cornell astronomers have developed a practical model – an environmental color...
Ocean circulation may hold the key to finding life on exoplanets
Planets exactly like Earth may not be best places to look for alien life, study finds.
Researchers across the globe have long tackled the question:...
Scientists solve the mystery of lava-like flows on Mars
The mystery of some lava-like flows on Mars has been solved by scientists who say they are caused not by lava but by mud.
There...
Mercury’s 750°F heat may help it make its own ice
It is already hard to believe that there is ice on Mercury, where daytime temperatures reach 400 degrees Celsius, or 750 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now a...
100 more undiscovered galaxies are out there orbiting our Milky Way, says study
We live in a big-city galaxy.
The Milky Way is so big it has satellite galaxies that orbit it, just as the Moon orbits the...
This planetary exploration robot could beat sand traps
The rolling hills of Mars or the moon are a long way from the nearest tow truck.
That's why the next generation of exploration rovers...
Astronomers find regular rhythms among pulsating stars
By listening to the beating hearts of stars, astronomers have for the first time identified a rhythm of life for a class of stellar...
Scientists find new evidence of watery plumes on Jupiter’s moon Europa
Jupiter’s moon Europa is a fascinating world.
On its surface, the moon appears to be scratched and scored with reddish-brown scars, which rake across the...
Our solar system’s oldest molecular fluids could hold the key to early life
The oldest molecular fluids in the solar system could have supported the rapid formation and evolution of the building blocks of life, says a...