Astrobiology

Weird Dark Spots On Mars Get Surprising Explanation

Posted 04.16.2012

Read More: Life on Mars, Martian Glass, Mars Volcano, Mars Glass Water, Astrobiology, Mars Geology, Martian Volcano, Mars Glass, Water on Mars, Mars Liquid Water, Video, Science News

Scientists puzzling over some odd dark spots on Mars may finally have shone a light on the mystery. In a new paper, published March 26 in the acade...

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PHOTOS: Saturn's Moons Icily Bleak In Close-Ups From Cassini

Posted 03.30.2012

Read More: Nasa, Spacecraft, Video, Saturn, Astronomy, Astrobiology, Space, Enceladus, Italian Space Agency, Saturn's Moons, Moon, European Space Agency, Orbit, Cassini, Orbiter, Science News

By: Clara Moskowitz Published: 03/30/2012 06:45 AM EDT on SPACE.com NASA's workhorse Saturn orbiter Cassini has just beamed back stunning new v...

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Russian Scientist Claims Scorpion-like Alien Found On Venus, NASA Disagrees

Alejandro Rojas | Posted 03.27.2012

Read More: Aliens, Nasa, Extraterrestrials, Extraterrestrial Life, Astrobiology, Russian Space Program, Life on Venus, Venus, Weird News News
Alejandro Rojas

The idea of life on Venus is not given much credence by most mainstream scientists because of the extreme surface temperatures, which can exceed 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Slouching To The Right Of The Drake Equation

Athena Andreadis, Ph.D. | Posted 02.05.2012

Read More: Habitable Zone, Astrophysics, Second-Life-Sample, Astrobiology, Kepler 22b, Earth-Like Planets, Exoplanets, Planetary Systems, Extraterrestrial Life, NASA Kepler, Technology News
Athena Andreadis, Ph.D.

The last few years have been heady for planet hunters. First the hot Jupiters; then the will-o'-the-wisp Glieslings and their cousins; and the results from the Kepler mission, one of which is Kepler-22b.

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Life at the SETI Institute: Dr. Jill Tarter -- The Search for Cosmic Company

SETI Institute | Posted 12.20.2011

Read More: Jill Tarter, SETI Institute, Astrobiology, Discovery, Cosmic, Cosmos, Seti, Universe, Technology News
SETI Institute

By Gail Jacobs Astronomer Dr. Jill Tarter is Director of the SETI Institute's Center for SETI Research, and also holder of the Bernard M. Oliver C...

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Life at the SETI Institute: Rachel Mastrapa - Paving the Way for Astronomical Discoveries

SETI Institute | Posted 10.29.2011

Read More: SETI Institute, Planets, Nasa, Astrophysics, Astronomy, Spectroscopy, Women in Science, Science, Planetary Science, Solar System, Universe, Astrobiology, Technology News
SETI Institute

By Dr. Rachel Mastrapa; Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute, and Gail Jacobs Rachel Mastrapa studies the surface ...

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SETI Institute Engages the Public and Celebrates Science

SETI Institute | Posted 10.12.2011

Read More: Science, SETI Institute, Education, Astrobiology, Technology News
SETI Institute

By Gail Jacobs Click on images for larger view The cosmos can be mysteriously alluring to all -- from the young in age to the young at heart. In par...

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Seeing the Planets for the Trees

Anuradha K. Herath | Posted 07.24.2011

Read More: Science, Nasa, Astrobiology, Space, Green News
Anuradha K. Herath

In the search for life on other planets, scientists are looking beyond single-celled organisms and are developing techniques that would help them detect multicellular life.

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Life at the SETI Institute: Lori Fenton -- Sand Seas of the Solar System

SETI Institute | Posted 06.20.2011

Read More: Sand Dunes, SETI Institute, Planets, Nasa, Sand Seas, Space Exploration, Astronomy, Astrobiology, Solar System, Science, Mars, Cosmos, Wind Patterns, Universe, Technology News
SETI Institute

Lori's recent publications describe how dunes record climate change on Mars, the first evidence for dune migration on another planet, and how atmospheric models can be used to account for wind gustiness and its effects on sand movement.

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Life at the SETI Institute: Jon Jenkins -- Turning Pixels Into Planets

SETI Institute | Posted 05.28.2011

Read More: Exploration, SETI Institute, Planets, Nasa, Medical Research, Astronomy, Discovery, Astrobiology, Exoplanets, Cosmos, Kepler, Universe, Technology News
SETI Institute

After a starquake, says NASA's Dr. Jon Jenkins, "stars actually change their shape. This shape change causes an apparent change in brightness. As we study the brightness variations in time, we can essentially hear the songs of the stars."

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Life at the SETI Institute: Darlene Lim -- Exploring the Watery Depths of Limnology

SETI Institute | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Exploration, SETI Institute, Earth Science, Nasa, Microbialites, Astrobiology, Geobiology, Limnology, Space Science, Science, Mars Analog, Lakes, Pavilion Lake Research Project, Technology News
SETI Institute

By Gail Jacobs Dr. Darlene Lim is a geobiologist and limnologist at the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute. Her ...

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How Earth's Orbital Shift Shaped the Sahara

Anuradha K. Herath | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Environment, Science, Climate Change, Nasa, Sahara, Sub-Saharan Africa, Space, Astrobiology, Africa, Green News
Anuradha K. Herath

The Sahara desert was once fertile grassland. This fact has been common knowledge in the scientific community for some time, but scientists are still grappling with what changed.

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The Agency That Cried "Awesome!"

Athena Andreadis, Ph.D. | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Biomolecules, Burden of Proof, Nasa, Astrobiology, Exotic Biochemistry, Publicity Circus, Arsenic, Phosphorus, Scientific Process, Extremophile, Hype, Technology News
Athena Andreadis, Ph.D.

NASA should not have to resort to circus acts as the price for doing science. It's in such circumstances that violence is done to process, to rigor, to integrity.

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Arsenic and Odd Lace

Athena Andreadis, Ph.D. | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Arsenic, Hype, Nasa, Phosphorus, Extremophile, Biomolecules, Astrobiology, Exotic Biochemistry, Technology News
Athena Andreadis, Ph.D.

It was clever of NASA to disclose its "amazing astrobiology discovery" right around budget-cutting time. But they should have better managed the hype -- and kept squarely in their memory the tale of the boy who cried wolf.

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Life at the SETI Institute: Rosalba Bonaccorsi -- Protecting and Exploring Mars from Earth

SETI Institute | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: SETI Institute, Planets, Nasa, Space Exploration, Mars Rover, Astronomy, Planetary Protection, Curiosity, Astrobiology, Solar System, Science, Mars, Cosmos, Analogs, Universe, Technology News
SETI Institute

By Gail Jacobs Keen to achieve a wide picture of where life and its signatures for life are most successfully distributed, concentrated, preserved, a...

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NASA's Astrobiology Discovery: Arsenic-Eating Bacteria, Not 'Aliens'

AP | RANDOLPH E. SCHMID | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Arsenic, Extraterrestrial Life, NASA Astrobiology, Nasa, Astrobiology, NASA Aliens, Aliens, NASA Press Conference, Science, Arsenic Bacteria, NASA Extraterrestrials, Mono Lake, Technology News

WASHINGTON — The discovery of a strange bacteria that can use arsenic as one of its nutrients widens the scope for finding new forms of life on ...

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Breakthrough In Search For Extraterrestrial Life? NASA To Announce Astrobiology Discovery Tomorrow

The Huffington Post | Nicholas Graham | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: NASA Extraterrestrials, Nasa, Astrobiology, Aliens, Science, NASA Aliens, Extraterrestrial Life, NASA Astrobiology, NASA Press Conference, Technology News

Has NASA made a breakthrough in the search extraterrestrial life? That's what some are speculating after NASA sent out a curious press release announc...

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Life at the SETI Institute: Adrian Brown -- The Time for Mars is Now

SETI Institute | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Planets, Nasa, Astrobiology, Science, Mars, SETI Institute, Space Travel, Virgin Galactic, Spacex, Astronomy, Space Exploration, Mars Orbiter, Voyager, Youtube, Solar System, Nili Fossae, Cosmos, Universe, Technology News
SETI Institute

By Gail Jacobs When most people look at photos of the Martian landscape, they see the kind of dry topography that, while attractive, shows only that ...

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Life at the SETI Institute: Meet Dana Backman -- Video

SETI Institute | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: SETI Institute, Education, Planets, Nasa, Astronomy, Space, Astrobiology, Science, Cosmos, Universe, Sofia, Technology News
SETI Institute

This one-minute excerpt comes from a special colloquium celebrating the 25th anniversary of the SETI Institute. Watch a video of Dana Backman giving...

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Life at the SETI Institute: Paul Estrada -- From Dust to Planets

SETI Institute | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: SETI Institute, Universe, Nasa, Cassini, Astrobiology, Astronomy, Galileo, Cosmos, Space Exploration, Planets, Astrophysics, Planet Formation, Moons, Callisto, Ganymede, Satellites, Voyager, Saturn, Solar System, Jupiter, Science, Technology News
SETI Institute

By Gail Jacobs If planets are a dime a dozen, moons are less than a penny each. There are at least 139 moons just within our own solar system. Most o...

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Life at the SETI Institute: Meet Jie Li -- Video

SETI Institute | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Science, SETI Institute, Research, Biofuels, Extremophile, Astrobiology, Technology News
SETI Institute

This one-minute excerpt comes from a special colloquium celebrating the 25th anniversary of the SETI Institute. Watch a video of Jie Li giving a one...

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Life at the SETI Institute: Meet Dr. Franck Marchis -- Video

SETI Institute | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: SETI Institute, Asteroids, Nasa, Astronomy, Space, Astrobiology, Marchis, Io, Science, Planet, Cosmos, Universe, Technology News
SETI Institute

This one-minute video excerpt comes from a special colloquium celebrating the 25th anniversary of the SETI Institute.

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Life at the SETI Institute: Cynthia Phillips -- Decipering the Cosmic Puzzle

SETI Institute | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: SETI Institute, Europa, Cassini, Space Exploration, Astronomy, Jupiter, Galileo, Mars, Image Processing, Planet, Io, Nasa, Astrobiology, Cosmos, Universe, Technology News
SETI Institute

By Gail Jacobs An expert in processing spacecraft images of the planets, Dr. Cynthia Phillips is particularly interested in the search for active ge...

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Life at the SETI Institute: SETI Gurls (Video)

SETI Institute | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Internships, SETI Institute, Viral Video, Astronomy, Astrobiology, Technology News
SETI Institute

Every summer, the SETI Institute hosts 15-20 college students from around the country as part of its Astrobiology Research Experience for Undergraduat...

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Life after Catastrophe

Anuradha K. Herath | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Science, Nasa, Ctenopelta Larvae, Hydrothermal Vents, Astrobiology, Green News
Anuradha K. Herath

By learning how life survives catastrophes, astrobiologists also can learn the limits to life, and the requirements necessary for life to colonize new environments.

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