astrobiology

Are there signs of life on alien planet K2-18b, or is it just a lot of hot air?

7:02pm April 16, 2025

The James Webb Space Telescope may have detected life-associated gas in the atmosphere of a far-off planet. The news is being greeted with both enthusiasm and skepticism.

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Science

Venus and Earth used to look like 'twin' planets. What happened?

6:00am May 08, 2024

by Regina G. Barber

Earth, Mars and Venus all looked pretty similar when they first formed. Today, Mars is dry, cold, and dusty; Venus has a hot, crushing atmosphere. Why did these sibling planets turn out so different?

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Small rocks and dust from an asteroid, outside a round sample collection device in a NASA lab.

Science

Take a peek at what NASA brought back from an asteroid

5:00am October 12, 2023

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists are thrilled with the tiny asphalt-black rocks, and most of the sample hasn't even been revealed yet.

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Perseverance takes a selfie with its helicopter companion Ingenuity in the background.

Science

NASA's Perseverance rover marks its first year hunting for past life on Mars

5:11am February 18, 2022

by Brendan Byrne

Since touching down in Jezero Crater, NASA's Perseverance rover has already cached 6 samples that could one day be brought back to Earth. Astrobiologists hope they hold signs of past microbial life.

Columbia University astronomer David Kipping is extending the search for other planets — and their moons — to the extreme range of our detection abilities.

Hot On The Trail Of Alien Moons

8:55am April 13, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Astronomers have found about 2,000 planets beyond our solar system. Now, some scientists are expanding the search to look for distant moons, too, in the hunt for signs of life.

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