Imagining early Earth as an exoplanet can help us search for alien life, scientists say By Elizabeth Howell published 27 May 22 What if we thought of our ancestors as a form of alien life?
Humans could become a truly interplanetary species within 200 years, physicists claim By Paul Sutter published 26 May 22 Harness renewable energy to explore the cosmos or risk planetary doom, new physics study argues.
What's next for UFO studies after landmark congressional hearing? By Leonard David published 18 May 22 Tuesday's (May 17) event was the first open congressional hearing about UFOs in more than 50 years.
Congress holding UFO hearing today: How to watch live (and what to expect) By Leonard David last updated 17 May 22 The U.S. Congress will hold a public hearing tomorrow (May 17) on reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) skirting through our skies, and you can watch it live.
US military taking 'all hands on deck' approach to understanding UFOs By Elizabeth Howell published 17 May 22 The U.S. military aims to more systematically classify and characterize reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), officials said during a congressional hearing on Tuesday (May 17).
Microbes on Earth's seafloor may aid the search for alien life By Samantha Mathewson published 13 May 22 Microorganisms living on a large slab of ancient seafloor in the Persian Gulf may reveal clues about life on other planets.
Mars sample return: Could Red Planet life contaminate Earth? By Leonard David published 12 May 22 Hauling to Earth samples of Mars that might contain Red Planet life is deemed a low risk affair in terms of ecological and public safety — but that risk is not zero.
Scientists peer inside a Mars meteorite to check for signs of a habitable world By Charles Q. Choi published 11 May 22 Liquid water once shaped the rock inside a meteorite from Mars, but likely did not support any microbial life, a new study finds.
NASA wants your input on its Mars sample return project By Elizabeth Howell last updated 11 May 22 NASA is asking the public to comment on an environmental assessment for its Mars sample return effort.
New message to aliens will reflect on Earth in danger of climate crisis By Keith Cooper last updated 11 May 22 A radio signal designed to bring Earth's climate crisis to the attention of alien life will be beamed to the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system in October.
China is on the hunt for 'Earth 2.0' with proposed space telescope By Andrew Jones published 9 May 22 China could soon begin its first space-based hunt for exoplanets.
Rocky alien worlds may need to be young to support life By Stefanie Waldek published 8 May 22 Scientists suggest that one of the key characteristics of a life-supporting, rocky exoplanet is that it needs to be young enough to generate heat through radioactive decay.
Venus-like worlds are surprisingly common in 'habitable' zones By Paul Sutter published 6 May 22 The current definition of habitable zone only examines the amount of sunlight reaching a planet. It may be time to question that definition.
These 8 NASA missions just got more time to explore Mars, asteroids and the solar system By Elizabeth Howell published 26 April 22 Mars, the moon and asteroids will get a deeper look from these spacecraft with eight NASA mission extensions.
Meteorites could have brought all 5 genetic 'letters' of DNA to early Earth By Charles Q. Choi published 26 April 22 New meteorite research suggests that cosmic impacts might have helped deliver vital ingredients of life to ancient Earth.
The 10 most Earth-like exoplanets By Elizabeth Howell, Ailsa Harvey last updated 22 April 22 Reference Scientists have found nearly 5,000 exoplanets since the first such world was confirmed orbiting a sunlike star in 1995. These ones are most similar to Earth.
5,000 exoplanets! NASA confirms big milestone for planetary science By Elizabeth Howell last updated 22 April 22 It took 30 years to find so many alien worlds, but the pace of discovery is accelerating.
Wow! Perseverance rover captures gorgeous video of solar eclipse on Mars By Elizabeth Howell published 20 April 22 The tiny Mars moon Phobos looms large on the sun's face in dramatic eclipse footage captured by NASA's Perseverance rover.
Perseverance rover arrives at ancient Mars river delta By Elizabeth Howell published 19 April 22 Perseverance just reached the remains of an ancient Red Planet river delta, a set of layered rocks that has long been the life-hunting rover's main science target.
