Earth is not necessarily the best planet in the universe. Researchers have identified two dozen planets outside our solar system that may have conditions more suitable for life than our own. Some of these orbit stars that may be better than even our sun. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-10-planets-life-earth.html…
Tag: Astronomy Astrobiology
Researchers turn to trees to determine if multicellular life on exoplanets exist
Is there life outside our planet? Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-10-trees-multicellular-life-exoplanets.html…
Venus: Could it really harbour life? New study springs a surprise
Earth’s sister planet, Venus, has not been regarded as a high priority in the search for life. Its surface temperature of around 450°C is thought to be hostile to even the hardiest of micro-organisms, and its thick, sulfurous and acidic atmosphere has kept the surface almost completely free from visiting spacecraft. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-09-venus-harbour-life.html…
Could there be a form of life inside stars?
Are we alone in the universe? Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-09-life-stars.html…
Surprising number of exoplanets could host life
Earth. A new study shows other stars could have as many as seven Earth-like planets in the absence of a gas giant like Jupiter. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-07-exoplanets-host-life.html…
Study reveals secret life of lithium in Sun-like stars
Lithium is becoming common in our everyday lives. It is the key ingredient in the batteries of our mobile phones and electric vehicles, but have you ever wondered where it comes from? Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-07-reveals-secret-life-lithium-sun-like.html…
Super-Earths discovered orbiting nearby red dwarf
The nearest exoplanets to us provide the best opportunities for detailed study, including searching for evidence of life outside the solar system. In research led by the University of Göttingen, the RedDots team of astronomers has detected a system of super-Earth planets orbiting the nearby star Gliese 887, the brightest red dwarf star in the sky. Super-Earths are planets which have…
Calculate the number of alien civilizations in the Milky Way for yourself
In recent years, the explosive nature of exoplanet discovery (over 4,164 confirmed so far) has led to renewed interest in the timeless question: “Are we alone in the universe?” Or, as famed Italian physicist Enrico Fermi put it, “Where is everybody?” With so many planets to choose from and the rate at which our instruments and methods are improving, the search…
Does intelligent life exist on other planets? Technosignatures may hold new clues
In 1995 a pair of scientists discovered a planet outside our solar system orbiting a solar-type star. Since that finding—which won the scientists a portion of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics—researched have discovered more than 4,000 exoplanets, including some Earth-like planets that may have the potential to harbor life. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-06-intelligent-life-planets-technosignatures-clues.html…
Presence of airborne dust could signify increased habitability of distant planets
Scientists have expanded our understanding of potentially habitable planets orbiting distant stars by including a critical climate component—the presence of airborne dust. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-06-presence-airborne-signify-habitability-distant.html…