Astronomers classify near-Earth asteroids
Researchers determined the sizes, rotational speeds, and chemical compositions of 39 asteroids orbiting the Sun near Earth. Many were…
Category: Astrobiology & Space Science
The fate of massive rotating stars
Researchers showed that massive stars at the end of their lives are more likely to collapse into black holes than to explode into…
Lava tubes contain unknown “microbial dark matter”
Researchers discovered lava tubes on Mauna Loa containing previously unknown microorganisms with metabolisms and communities that could…
Astronomers model early star clusters
Scientists used computer simulations to determine how ancient star clusters formed. Their results were similar to real clusters found with…
Scientists observe a changing exoplanet orbit
Astronomers conducted a multifaceted study of the exoplanet TrES-1 b and found that its orbit is shifting, possibly due to an unseen…
How did early galaxies form?
Astronomers observed a distant, ancient galaxy and found that it consisted of 5 distinct regions, suggesting a complex formation history…
How often are stars flung out of the center of the Galaxy?
Researchers surveyed stars in the Milky Way Galaxy and found they’re only rarely ejected from the Galaxy's center.
Could cells form in Venus’s clouds?
Astrobiologists demonstrated that cell membrane structures can form in high concentrations of sulfuric acid similar to the clouds of Venus.
Stellar flares could masquerade as life on exoplanets
Astronomers tested whether energy bursts from stars could artificially elevate typical “biosignature” gases on exoplanets.
The lifecycle of a steam world
Scientists studied exoplanets with high water contents and found that they initially have outer vapor layers, which then cool and shrink…