Life On Planets
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Could a Planet Exist Without a Host Star? Astronomers Say Rogue Worlds May Roam Freely
Astronomers have discovered that planets can survive without stars, drifting as rogue or hypervelocity worlds. Some are flung into space by black holes, while others are displaced by gas giants. On some of these rogue worlds, the idea goes, there might be oceans beneath icy crusts, where life, at least life at a microbe level, could exist.
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ESA’s JUICE Probe Uses Venus Flyby to Stay on Track for Jupiter’s Icy Moons
The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) successfully executed a Venus flyby on August 31, 2025, using the planet’s gravity to speed toward Jupiter. Engineers overcame a brief antenna glitch before the maneuver, and the spacecraft endured Venus’s intense heat by shielding itself with its high-gain antenna.
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NASA Telescope Detects Possible Signs Of Alien Life On Distant 'Water World'
Researchers using the Webb telescope found traces of two gases, dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), in the atmosphere of K2-18b, a planet 124 light-years away.
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Scientists Explore Role of Space Radiation in Powering Alien Microbial Life
A new study proposes that life may exist far from sunlight in a “radiolytic habitable zone” deep beneath the icy surfaces of Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Cosmic rays, which can penetrate rock and ice, break water molecules apart to release hydrogen, oxygen, and energy-rich electrons. These can fuel microbes in subsurface water, much like bacter...
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Malti Marie Recording Dad Nick Jonas On Stage Is The Best Thing On Internet
Malti Marie is her father Nick Jonas's biggest cheer leader on the planet
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Crystalline Ice Discovered in Space: New Study Reveals Hidden Order in Cosmic Ice
A groundbreaking study from University College London and the University of Cambridge reveals that water ice in space, long believed to be completely amorphous due to extreme cold, may actually contain up to 25% crystalline structure. Simulations and X-ray diffraction experiments confirm the presence of nanocrystals in so-called low-density amorpho...
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Earth’s Spin to Speed Up Briefly, Causing Shorter Days This Summer
Scientists report that Earth will briefly spin faster on July 9, 22, and August 5, shortening those summer days by 1.3 to 1.5 milliseconds. Though undetectable in daily life, this shift offers clues to how lunar gravity and seasonal changes affect planetary dynamics. Experts note that while timekeeping systems like GPS are unaffected, this rare spe...
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When The Sun Dies: What It Means For Earth
The eventual death of the Sun might prompt humanity to search for new homes in other star systems.
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Why Is Mars Barren, Uninhabitable? NASA's Curiosity Rover Offers New Clue
Mars is thought to currently have all the necessary ingredients for life except for perhaps the most important one: liquid water
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"Mushroom" On Mars: Is This A Sign Of Life On Red Planet?
While there's currently no definitive evidence of life on the Red Planet, scientists continue to explore the possibility.
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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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James Webb Telescope Detects Frozen Water In Young Star System For The First Time
This finding has opened up new avenues for understanding the early universe and the origins of water on our planet
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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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Doubt Cast On Claim Of 'Hints' Of Life On Faraway Planet
Several recent studies have found that there is not enough evidence to support astronomers' claims of the most promising hints of alien life yet on a distant planet.
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Could a Planet Exist Without a Host Star? Astronomers Say Rogue Worlds May Roam Freely
Astronomers have discovered that planets can survive without stars, drifting as rogue or hypervelocity worlds. Some are flung into space by black holes, while others are displaced by gas giants. On some of these rogue worlds, the idea goes, there might be oceans beneath icy crusts, where life, at least life at a microbe level, could exist.
-
ESA’s JUICE Probe Uses Venus Flyby to Stay on Track for Jupiter’s Icy Moons
The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) successfully executed a Venus flyby on August 31, 2025, using the planet’s gravity to speed toward Jupiter. Engineers overcame a brief antenna glitch before the maneuver, and the spacecraft endured Venus’s intense heat by shielding itself with its high-gain antenna.
-
NASA Telescope Detects Possible Signs Of Alien Life On Distant 'Water World'
Researchers using the Webb telescope found traces of two gases, dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), in the atmosphere of K2-18b, a planet 124 light-years away.
-
Scientists Explore Role of Space Radiation in Powering Alien Microbial Life
A new study proposes that life may exist far from sunlight in a “radiolytic habitable zone” deep beneath the icy surfaces of Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Cosmic rays, which can penetrate rock and ice, break water molecules apart to release hydrogen, oxygen, and energy-rich electrons. These can fuel microbes in subsurface water, much like bacter...
-
Malti Marie Recording Dad Nick Jonas On Stage Is The Best Thing On Internet
Malti Marie is her father Nick Jonas's biggest cheer leader on the planet
-
Crystalline Ice Discovered in Space: New Study Reveals Hidden Order in Cosmic Ice
A groundbreaking study from University College London and the University of Cambridge reveals that water ice in space, long believed to be completely amorphous due to extreme cold, may actually contain up to 25% crystalline structure. Simulations and X-ray diffraction experiments confirm the presence of nanocrystals in so-called low-density amorpho...
-
Earth’s Spin to Speed Up Briefly, Causing Shorter Days This Summer
Scientists report that Earth will briefly spin faster on July 9, 22, and August 5, shortening those summer days by 1.3 to 1.5 milliseconds. Though undetectable in daily life, this shift offers clues to how lunar gravity and seasonal changes affect planetary dynamics. Experts note that while timekeeping systems like GPS are unaffected, this rare spe...
-
When The Sun Dies: What It Means For Earth
The eventual death of the Sun might prompt humanity to search for new homes in other star systems.
-
Why Is Mars Barren, Uninhabitable? NASA's Curiosity Rover Offers New Clue
Mars is thought to currently have all the necessary ingredients for life except for perhaps the most important one: liquid water
-
"Mushroom" On Mars: Is This A Sign Of Life On Red Planet?
While there's currently no definitive evidence of life on the Red Planet, scientists continue to explore the possibility.
-
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.
-
James Webb Telescope Detects Frozen Water In Young Star System For The First Time
This finding has opened up new avenues for understanding the early universe and the origins of water on our planet
-
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.
-
Doubt Cast On Claim Of 'Hints' Of Life On Faraway Planet
Several recent studies have found that there is not enough evidence to support astronomers' claims of the most promising hints of alien life yet on a distant planet.
