New research shows that an electric field surrounding Venus is stripping its atmosphere of water—and the same phenomenon may plague exoplanets scientists hope might be habitable.
life as we know it
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Did Solar Flares Cook Up Life on Earth?
Scientists have found that "super" solar flares could have warmed the ancient planet and jump-started life.
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Aging Stars Make New Habitable Zones
Scientists searching for life in the universe now have a new target: the once-icy worlds orbiting red giants.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Martian Carbonates Spotted by the Orbiter
The minerals identified by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter provide more evidence that the planet may have once been habitable.
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Impacts Might Have Made Ancient Mars Briefly Hospitable to Life
A bombardment of the Red Planet 4 billion years ago could have created hot springs that allowed life to flourish.
Posted inScience Updates
Planetary Caves' Role in Astronaut Bases and the Search for Life
2nd International Planetary Caves Conference; Flagstaff, Arizona, 20–23 October 2015
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New NOVA TV Show Explores Coevolution of Rocks and Life
Mineralogist Robert Hazen and other scientists probe connections between living organisms and rocks in "Life's Rocky Start," which premieres tonight on PBS stations around the United States.
Posted inScience Updates
Where Curiosity Has Taken Us
The Curiosity rover, one of NASA's flagship missions, analyzes Martian geology, geochemistry, climatology, and radiation to assess whether Mars could have supported microbial life.
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Atmospheres Can Collapse on the Dark Sides of Planets
Planets that orbit close to their stars might lose their atmospheres along with any chance of life, but new models show a way in which these planets may retain their atmospheres and habitability.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Curiosity Rover Finds Organic Molecules on Martian Surface
Scientists assess the present and past habitability of Mars from organic compounds detected at Gale Crater.