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Tag Archives: aliens

Martian microbes, maybe

By Stephen Ornes / March 21, 2013

The first sample of Martian rock drilled by the rover Curiosity. Scientists say the rock provides evidence that microbes could have once lived on Mars. Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS

Permission: press photo, NASA public domain

Billions of years ago, Mars could have been teeming with very small Martians

Posted in Space | Tagged aliens, astrobiology, California Institute of Technology, Caltech, chemicals, crater, Curiosity, elements, environment, extraterrestrial life, getinvolved, habitability, John Grotzinger, Mars, Martian water, Michael Meyer, minerals, NASA, planets, space, topstories

Home on the moon

By Stephen Ornes / February 1, 2013

Life on the moon — but not ours. This illustration shows two large moons orbiting a giant, gassy planet (in orange). Astronomers say the right type of moon could harbor alien life. Credit: R. Heller, AIP

Astronomers say rocky moons orbiting distant planets might support alien life

Posted in Space | Tagged aliens, astrobiology, astronomy, astrophysics, biology, exomoons, exoplanet, forces, Germany, getinvolved, gravitation, gravity, hot Jupiter, Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics, moon, Orbit, Potsdam, René Heller, Rory Barnes, solar system, stars, telescopes, topstories, University of Washington

Ice on Mercury

By Stephen Ornes / December 17, 2012

This image of Mercury’s north pole region shows areas in shadow (red) according to new MESSENGER data and the location of bright spots (yellow) that are likely exposed ice deposits.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington/National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Arecibo Observatory

MESSENGER spacecraft provides evidence for frozen water on planet closest to sun

Posted in Space | Tagged aliens, altimetry, asteroids, astronomy, carbon, comets, craters, David Paige, extraterrestrial life, getinvolved, ice, laser altimeter, mercury, MESSENGER, NASA, planetary science, planets, space environment, sun, University of California Los Angeles

New planetary neighbor

By Stephen Ornes / November 5, 2012

Astronomers have found that our closest stellar neighbor has an Earth-sized planet orbiting it. This illustration shows what the pair might look like. Credit: ESO

Nearest star system has a world that’s Earthly in size, but too hot for human visitors

Posted in Space | Tagged aliens, Alpha Centauri, astronomy, Debra Fischer, exoplanet, extrasolar planet, Geoff Marcy, getinvolved, HARPS, rocky world, Santa Cruz, space, Stéphane Udry, telescopes, University of California, Yale University

Curiosity’s watery find

By Stephen Ornes / October 18, 2012

This jagged Martian rock formation contains pebbles that were moved by water billions of years ago. Credit: JPL-Caltech/NASA

Mars rover finds rocks that show where water once flowed

Posted in Space | Tagged aliens, California Institute of Technology, Curiosity, extraterrestrial, getinvolved, John Grotzinger, Mars, NASA, Pasadena, Planetary Science Institute, plate, Rebecca Williams, red planet, rover, topstories, Tucson, water, water in space