Tag: Astrobiology
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New Earth-sized planet ‘rescued’ from Kepler mission’s old data — and it may be habitable
An artist’s conception shows Kepler-1649c orbiting around its host red dwarf star. (NASA / Ames Research Center Illustration / Daniel Rutter) An alien Earth that just might be habitable has been discovered in years-old records, thanks to sharp-eyed astronomers who gave the data a second look. The exoplanet, known as Kepler-1649c, is only 6% wider…
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SETI and other alien-hunting strategies are dealing with new tools — and new troubles
Two PANOSETI telescopes are installed in the recently renovated Astrograph Dome at the Lick Observatory in California. PANOSETI will use a configuration of many SETI telescopes to allow simultaneous monitoring of the entire observable sky. (© Laurie Hatch Photo via UCSD) The search for extraterrestrial intelligence, better known as SETI, is taking advantage of a…
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3-D climate modeling could fine-tune the search for faraway signs of alien life
An artist’s conception shows a hypothetical planet with two moons orbiting within the habitable zone of an M-dwarf star. (NASA / Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Illustration / D. Aguilar) Astronomers have identified thousands of stars that have planets, and that number could mushroom even faster when waves of next-generation telescopes come online. But where are…
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NASA, ESA officials seek formal approvals for Mars sample return mission
Artist’s concept of a Mars sample return mission, including a U.S.-built Mars Ascent Vehicle (left), a European-built Earth Return Orbiter (center), and a NASA-provided Earth Entry Vehicle (right). Credit: ESA/ATG medialab After crystallizing a partnership to retrieve samples from the surface of Mars and return them to Earth, NASA and European Space Agency officials are seeking…
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NASA picks Dragonfly mission to send a nuclear drone to Saturnian moon Titan
An artist’s conception shows the Dragonfly probe on the dunes of Titan. (NASA / JHUAPL Illustration) NASA has chosen to commit up to $850 million to creating an interplanetary probe unlike any seen before: a rotor-equipped spacecraft that will fly through the smoggy atmosphere of Titan, Saturn’s biggest moon. The Dragonfly mission will be managed…
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NASA approves development of flying drone to explore Saturn’s moon Titan
Artist’s concept of the Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan. Credit: NASA NASA officials announced Thursday that the agency will move forward with the development of a plutonium-powered robotic quadcopter drone to explore Saturn’s moon Titan, a hazy world covered with dunes and methane lakes that scientists say is reminiscent of the ancient Earth. The…
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Rover teams practice for spelunking on the moon and Mars in California lava tubes
NASA’s robotics team drives the test rover, CaveR, into Valentine Cave at Lava Beds National Monument in California. One of the CaveR engineers is perched on a lava ledge, a marker of one of the lava flows in the cave. (NASA Photo) BELLEVUE, Wash. — Underground lava tubes are great places to set up bases…
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That burst of Martian methane is long gone, but mystery of life on Mars remains
This image was taken by the left Navcam on NASA’s Curiosity rover on June 18. It shows part of Teal Ridge, which the rover has been studying within a region called the “clay-bearing unit.” (NASA / JPL-Caltech Photo) BELLEVUE, Wash. — NASA says the record-setting belch of Martian methane that its Curiosity rover detected last…
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Is there life on Mars, or on other worlds beyond Earth? The answer may be squishy
NASA’s Curiosity rover took this selfie in June 2018 by capturing a series of pictures with a camera mounted on its robotic arm. (NASA / JPL-Caltech Photo) BELLEVUE, Wash. — NASA’s Curiosity rover has detected fresh whiffs of Martian methane, once again sparking speculation about a potential biological source — but researchers at the space…
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Astrobiology takes the spotlight: Saturn’s moon Enceladus may offer a ‘free lunch’
This composite image shows how plumes of water emanate from fissures in the surface ice of Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons. (NASA / JPL Illustration) The sea that lies beneath the icy surface of Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, could provide even more fuel for extraterrestrial organisms than previously thought. That’s the upshot of a…