How can we know if we"re looking at habitable exo-Earths or hellish exo-Venuses?
The differences between Earth and Venus are obvious to us. One is radiant with life and adorned with glittering seas, and the other is a scorching, glowering hellhole, its volcanic surface shrouded by thick clouds and visible only with radar. But the.....»»
Long-awaited review reveals journey of water from interstellar clouds to habitable worlds
Dutch astronomer Ewine van Dishoeck (Leiden University, the Netherlands), together with an international team of colleagues, has written an overview of everything we know about water in interstellar clouds thanks to the Herschel space observatory. Th.....»»
Size of raindrops can help identify potentially habitable planets outside our solar system
One day, humankind may step foot on another habitable planet. That planet may look very different from Earth, but one thing will feel familiar—the rain......»»
Pandora mission would expand NASA"s capabilities in probing alien worlds
In the quest for habitable planets beyond our own, NASA is studying a mission concept called Pandora, which could eventually help decode the atmospheric mysteries of distant worlds in our galaxy. One of four low-cost astrophysics missions selected fo.....»»
Could there be life on Jupiter"s moons?
The search for life outside of Earth has taken many forms. Mars, our neighbouring world, looks like it was once habitable. Perhaps too Venus, despite its current hellish conditions. But in recent years, scientists' gazes have been drawn elsewhere. Wh.....»»
Rare earths outside China: Researchers identify new deposits
Rare earth elements are the gold of the 21st century: rare and highly prized all over the world. Most known and economically viable sources of rare earths are located in China, where more than 80 percent of them are refined. This has resulted in a ne.....»»
This hot super-Earth has temperatures of 800°F and rivers of glowing lava
No day or night, heat intense enough to melt lead, and glowing rivers of lava: This hellish landscape is a typical day on exoplanet Gliese 486b......»»
Biden"s hopes for rare earth independence at least a decade away
Joe Biden's ambition to make the U.S. less dependent on other nations for rare earths and minerals critical to the clean energy transition will take years to accomplish......»»
In search of super-Earths: Spectrograph CRIRES+ at ESO"s Very Large Telescope
The astronomy research instrument CRIRES+ is designed to study planets outside our solar system. It is now in operation at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The Institute of Astrophysics at the University of G.....»»
There"s a Tantalizing Sign of a Habitable-Zone Planet in Alpha Centauri
An international team of astronomers has found signs that a habitable planet may be lurking in Alpha Centauri, a binary star system a mere 4.37 light-years away. It could be one of the closest habitable planet prospects to date, although it's probabl.....»»
Astronomers uncover mysterious origins of "super-Earths"
Mini-Neptunes and super-Earths up to four times the size of our own are the most common exoplanets orbiting stars beyond our solar system. Until now, super-Earths were thought to be the rocky cores of mini-Neptunes whose gassy atmospheres were blown.....»»
Can super-Earth interior dynamics set the table for habitability?
New research led by Carnegie's Yingwei Fei provides a framework for understanding the interiors of super-Earths—rocky exoplanets between 1.5 and 2 times the size of our home planet—which is a prerequisite to assess their potential for habitabilit.....»»
Trudeau envisions closer U.S.-Canada integration on EVs, critical mineral supply
Noting that Canada has many of the rare earths minerals needed for car batteries and solar panels, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was important for the U.S. to have “a secure supply from a friend and an ally.".....»»
Phytoplankton factory in the Argentine Sea
The Goldilocks zone typically refers to the habitable area around a star where conditions are right for the existence of liquid water and possibly life. But on Earth, the South Atlantic Ocean has its own kind of Goldilocks zone. In spring and summer,.....»»
Chance played a major role in keeping Earth fit for life
A study by the University of Southampton gives a new perspective on why our planet has managed to stay habitable for billions of years—concluding it is almost certainly due, at least in part, to luck. The research suggests this may shorten the odds.....»»