habitability
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Scientists Challenge Recent Discovery of a Biosignature on Venus
A bombshell study from last month made the extraordinary claim of finding a type of molecule on Venus associated with life. An independent re-evaluation of the methods used in the paper has reached an entirely different conclusion, finding “no statistical evidence” for the biomarker.
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The Hidden Ocean Beneath Europa’s Frozen Crust May Contain Basic Table Salt
Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope point to the presence of sodium chloride on the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. This is potential evidence that sodium chloride, otherwise known as table salt, exists within Europa’s subsurface ocean—yet another indication of this moon’s potential to support alien life.
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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…
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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…