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NASA finds key ingredient for life gushing out of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus
By Joanna Thompson published
Scientists have discovered complex molecules in the gas and vapor plumes escaping from Enceladus's icy core — and one of them, hydrogen cyanide, is a precursor for life.
NASA identifies 17 planets with possible subsurface oceans, and they could be fit for life
By Conor Feehly published
A new NASA survey identified 17 exoplanets that may have the right conditions for liquid water oceans hidden beneath icy shells. The planets could be good candidates in the search for alien life.
'Almost unbelievable': Rare void from the sun briefly blew up Mars' atmosphere last year, and it could happen to Earth too
By Harry Baker published
On Dec. 26, 2022, NASA's MAVEN Orbiter witnessed Mars' magnetic shield and atmosphere drastically "balloon" outward by thousands of miles. The sudden expansion was triggered by a rare gap in solar wind.
Signs of life shooting from Saturn's moon could be collected with spacecraft, scientists say
By Rahul Rao published
Possible amino acids spewing from Enceladus' subsurface ocean can survive impact with a spacecraft, lab experiments show.
How many times has Earth orbited the sun?
By Harry Baker published
We worked out how many trips each of the solar system's eight planets has taken around the sun over the past 4.6 billion years.
Mercury may have a 'potentially habitable' region below its surface, salty glaciers suggest
By Briley Lewis published
Salty glaciers discovered in craters near Mercury's north pole may have the right conditions for extreme forms of life, new research suggests.
Enormous planet discovered around tiny star could break our understanding of solar system formation
By Joanna Thompson published
The massive planet LHS 3154b orbits a star much smaller than Earth's sun, and its discovery could upend everything we think we know about how solar systems form.
Eerie photo of Mars' horizon took NASA 3 months to capture
By Harry Baker published
After months of meticulous planning, NASA's Odyssey Orbiter finally captured a unique view of the Red Planet's horizon, which is similar to what future Martian astronauts might see.
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