Life Spreads Across Space on Tiny Invisible Particles

Does life appear independently on different planets in the galaxy? Or does it spread from world to world? Or does it do both? New research shows how life could spread via a basic, simple pathway: cosmic dust.

Lightning played a vital role in life's origins on Earth

Lightning strikes were just as important as meteorites in creating the perfect conditions for life to emerge on Earth, according to new research. This shows that life could develop on Earth-like planets through the same mechanism.

The odds of life and intelligence emerging on other planets

According to a recent study, if planets with similar conditions and evolutionary time lines to Earth are common, then life should have little problem spontaneously emerging on other planets and the odds are 3:2

Bacteria with bizarre metabolism has been found

Acetobacterium woodii is a new bacteria that is able to live in both hydrogen rich and hydrogen absent environments. This allow it to live in a variety of extreme environments, like the ocean floor or maybe another planet.

New study suggests tighter restrictions on exoplanet habitability

Accounting for the buildup of toxic gases predicted to occur in the atmospheres of most planets narrows the habitable zone for complex life by half and, in some cases, rules it out altogether, the study concludes.

Complex Life Might Require a Very Narrow Habitable Zone

A research into how life evolved on Earth has shown that water alone does not guarantee life – nor does the presence of oxygen gas. And that two other major biosignatures, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide could be needed.

Newly Found Planet Could Host Primitive Life, Study Suggest

Barnard b or GJ 699 b – might have microbes or other simple life in its environment as long as there is a lot of thermal activity within the planet itself. This would theoretically provide enough energy for life to survive.

Geothermal Heating Could Make Life Possible on the exoplanet

According to new study, an extrasolar planet orbiting Barnard’s star, an M-type (red dwarf), that is just 6 light years away could actually support life, assuming the planet experiences enhanced geothermal activity.

This Rocky Exoplanet Is the Most Likely to Support Life

Of the thousands of known exoplanets, Kepler-452b has the most ideal combination of UV light exposure and conditions for liquid water.

Scientists Analyze Possible Vegetation on the TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanets

A new scientific model studies whether liquid water can be maintained on planets in various conditions, and could be used to confirm the presence of vegetation on faraway worlds.

Finding Alien Life Could Be a Simple Chemistry Test Away

A very simple chemical analysis is being developed by NASA scientists that could someday be used by robotic missions on other worlds to detect alien biology.

New recipe in the search for alien life

A new model has been developed to help in the search for life beyond our solar system.

Exquisite exoplanetary art: photos

Check out Exquisite Exoplanetary Art: Photos

New conditions for life on other planets: tidal effects change 'habitable zone' concept

Tides can render the so-called "habitable zone" around low-mass stars uninhabitable, according to new research. Until now, the two main drivers thought to determine a planet