Habitable Planets
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James Webb Telescope Spots Planet Formation in Harshest Known Galactic Environments
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that planets can form in extreme radiation zones. A protoplanetary disk called XUE 1, exposed to intense ultraviolet light, still shows signs of water and potential for rocky planet formation. The findings challenge old assumptions and broaden the possible regions where Earth-like planets may emerge.
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New Habitability Model Helps Identify Which Alien Planets Might Be Able to Host Life
A NASA-developed model now enables scientists to estimate the likelihood of life on distant planets or moons using limited and uncertain remote-sensing data. By comparing habitat conditions with known lifeforms or hypothetical organisms, the framework offers a probabilistic tool to assess alien environments and improve telescope targeting in the on...
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Are We Alone? Breakthrough Study Reveals New Way To Find Alien Life
A new model developed by Daniel Apai and his team offers a comprehensive method to assess the habitability of exoplanets, moving beyond traditional water-centric criteria.
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MAVEN Reveals How Mars Lost Its Atmosphere and Became a Barren World
NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft has provided the first direct evidence of "sputtering"—a powerful atmospheric escape process where solar wind particles blast atoms off Mars. The newly published study confirms that this process played a major role in the Red Planet’s transformation from a once-wet, habitable world to its current barren state. Argon ga...
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Earth Will Lose Its Oxygen: Scientists Warn Of A Rapid Countdown
The findings also suggest oxygen may not be a permanent biosignature on habitable planets, impacting the search for extraterrestrial life.
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Venus May Be Geologically Active: New Study Reveals Tectonic Processes Shaping Its Surface
Is Venus still geologically alive? New findings using NASA's Magellan data reveal that the planet's surface may be actively reshaped by subsurface plumes, supporting modern tectonic activity. Using NASA’s Magellan data and computer simulations, the study offers compelling evidence that Venus is not geologically dead, with implications for future ...
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Quantum Tech Could Finally Let Astronomers Snap Direct Images of Earth-Like Exoplanets
Astronomers are harnessing quantum mechanics to build a coronagraph that could directly image Earth-like exoplanets previously obscured by stellar glare. By sorting light waves at the photon level, the device bypasses traditional diffraction limits, revealing faint planetary signals. This breakthrough may redefine how scientists explore distant wor...
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Space Research Reveals How Icy Comets and Asteroids Could Reshape Earth-Like Planets
New scientific models and telescope observations from 2024 and 2025 reveal how comet and asteroid impacts can change atmospheres on Earth-like exoplanets, potentially supporting life or triggering climate disruption.
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Alien Life May Survive on Planets Orbiting White Dwarfs, Study Finds
New research explores the possibility of alien life on planets orbiting white dwarfs. While these stellar remnants cool over time, their shrinking habitable zones may still allow biological processes like photosynthesis and UV-driven abiogenesis to occur. A model assessing a planet's energy reception over seven billion years indicates that life-sus...
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New Research Reveals Mars’ Red Colour Linked to Ancient Water Presence
A recent study suggests that Mars’ red hue originates from ferrihydrite, an iron oxide that forms in water-rich environments. Scientists recreated Martian dust in labs and found that the mineral remained stable despite the planet’s dry conditions. Data from orbiting spacecraft and rovers confirm this discovery, reshaping theories about Mars’ ...
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Ancient Martian Ocean Shoreline Discovered Beneath Surface by Zhurong Rover
China's Zhurong rover has uncovered evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars, with ground-penetrating radar detecting a buried shoreline beneath the Utopia Basin. The rover’s scans revealed sloping sand layers similar to those found on Earth’s beaches, reinforcing theories of long-term water presence. Experts highlight that these formations are not...
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Scientists Observe Rare Plastic Ice, A Hybrid Form of Ice and Water, Under Extreme Pressure and Heat
Researchers have observed plastic ice, a phase where water molecules rotate while staying in a solid structure. The discovery, made under extreme pressure and heat, could provide new insights into the composition of icy exoplanets and moons. The findings suggest plastic ice VII may have existed in Europa and Titan's interiors and could influence nu...
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Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline
Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...
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Newly Confirmed Super-Earth HD 20794 d May Support Life in Habitable Zone
A super-Earth, HD 20794 d, has been confirmed within a habitable zone 20 light years from Earth. The planet, first detected in 2022, has a mass six times that of Earth and orbits a sun-like star. Although its elliptical orbit affects temperature stability, its potential to sustain liquid water makes it a key target for upcoming space missions. Scie...
-
Venus Never Had Oceans or Conditions to Support Life, New Study Finds
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have concluded that Venus likely never had oceans or conditions to support life. Their study, published in Nature Astronomy, analysed atmospheric chemistry and volcanic activity. They found that volcanic gases lacked significant steam, indicating the planet's interior has always been dry. This research ha...
-
James Webb Telescope Spots Planet Formation in Harshest Known Galactic Environments
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that planets can form in extreme radiation zones. A protoplanetary disk called XUE 1, exposed to intense ultraviolet light, still shows signs of water and potential for rocky planet formation. The findings challenge old assumptions and broaden the possible regions where Earth-like planets may emerge.
-
New Habitability Model Helps Identify Which Alien Planets Might Be Able to Host Life
A NASA-developed model now enables scientists to estimate the likelihood of life on distant planets or moons using limited and uncertain remote-sensing data. By comparing habitat conditions with known lifeforms or hypothetical organisms, the framework offers a probabilistic tool to assess alien environments and improve telescope targeting in the on...
-
Are We Alone? Breakthrough Study Reveals New Way To Find Alien Life
A new model developed by Daniel Apai and his team offers a comprehensive method to assess the habitability of exoplanets, moving beyond traditional water-centric criteria.
-
MAVEN Reveals How Mars Lost Its Atmosphere and Became a Barren World
NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft has provided the first direct evidence of "sputtering"—a powerful atmospheric escape process where solar wind particles blast atoms off Mars. The newly published study confirms that this process played a major role in the Red Planet’s transformation from a once-wet, habitable world to its current barren state. Argon ga...
-
Earth Will Lose Its Oxygen: Scientists Warn Of A Rapid Countdown
The findings also suggest oxygen may not be a permanent biosignature on habitable planets, impacting the search for extraterrestrial life.
-
Venus May Be Geologically Active: New Study Reveals Tectonic Processes Shaping Its Surface
Is Venus still geologically alive? New findings using NASA's Magellan data reveal that the planet's surface may be actively reshaped by subsurface plumes, supporting modern tectonic activity. Using NASA’s Magellan data and computer simulations, the study offers compelling evidence that Venus is not geologically dead, with implications for future ...
-
Quantum Tech Could Finally Let Astronomers Snap Direct Images of Earth-Like Exoplanets
Astronomers are harnessing quantum mechanics to build a coronagraph that could directly image Earth-like exoplanets previously obscured by stellar glare. By sorting light waves at the photon level, the device bypasses traditional diffraction limits, revealing faint planetary signals. This breakthrough may redefine how scientists explore distant wor...
-
Space Research Reveals How Icy Comets and Asteroids Could Reshape Earth-Like Planets
New scientific models and telescope observations from 2024 and 2025 reveal how comet and asteroid impacts can change atmospheres on Earth-like exoplanets, potentially supporting life or triggering climate disruption.
-
Alien Life May Survive on Planets Orbiting White Dwarfs, Study Finds
New research explores the possibility of alien life on planets orbiting white dwarfs. While these stellar remnants cool over time, their shrinking habitable zones may still allow biological processes like photosynthesis and UV-driven abiogenesis to occur. A model assessing a planet's energy reception over seven billion years indicates that life-sus...
-
New Research Reveals Mars’ Red Colour Linked to Ancient Water Presence
A recent study suggests that Mars’ red hue originates from ferrihydrite, an iron oxide that forms in water-rich environments. Scientists recreated Martian dust in labs and found that the mineral remained stable despite the planet’s dry conditions. Data from orbiting spacecraft and rovers confirm this discovery, reshaping theories about Mars’ ...
-
Ancient Martian Ocean Shoreline Discovered Beneath Surface by Zhurong Rover
China's Zhurong rover has uncovered evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars, with ground-penetrating radar detecting a buried shoreline beneath the Utopia Basin. The rover’s scans revealed sloping sand layers similar to those found on Earth’s beaches, reinforcing theories of long-term water presence. Experts highlight that these formations are not...
-
Scientists Observe Rare Plastic Ice, A Hybrid Form of Ice and Water, Under Extreme Pressure and Heat
Researchers have observed plastic ice, a phase where water molecules rotate while staying in a solid structure. The discovery, made under extreme pressure and heat, could provide new insights into the composition of icy exoplanets and moons. The findings suggest plastic ice VII may have existed in Europa and Titan's interiors and could influence nu...
-
Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline
Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...
-
Newly Confirmed Super-Earth HD 20794 d May Support Life in Habitable Zone
A super-Earth, HD 20794 d, has been confirmed within a habitable zone 20 light years from Earth. The planet, first detected in 2022, has a mass six times that of Earth and orbits a sun-like star. Although its elliptical orbit affects temperature stability, its potential to sustain liquid water makes it a key target for upcoming space missions. Scie...
-
Venus Never Had Oceans or Conditions to Support Life, New Study Finds
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have concluded that Venus likely never had oceans or conditions to support life. Their study, published in Nature Astronomy, analysed atmospheric chemistry and volcanic activity. They found that volcanic gases lacked significant steam, indicating the planet's interior has always been dry. This research ha...
