habitability

  • New Evidence Points To Icy Plate Tectonics On Europa

    New Evidence Points To Icy Plate Tectonics On Europa

    Jupiter’s moon Europa features a warm subterranean ocean covered in ice. For years, scientists have wondered if certain surface features are the result of plate tectonics, which, if true, would make Europa the only known place in the Solar System other than Earth to experience large, subduction-driven quakes. What’s more, the presence of tectonic activity…


  • Hubble Observations Suggest Water May Be Abundant On Outer TRAPPIST-1 Planets

    Hubble Observations Suggest Water May Be Abundant On Outer TRAPPIST-1 Planets

    Image: ESO/N. Bartmann/spaceengine.org From the moment that seven Earth-sized planets were discovered in orbit around TRAPPIST-1 — an ultracool dwarf star located 39 light years away — astronomers have been busy trying to learn everything they can about this intriguing star system, particularly its potential to foster life. Recently, an international team of scientists used…