Ever since astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown hypothesized in 2016 that an undiscovered planet hidden in the far reaches of the solar system was responsible for the odd orbits of the dwarf planets that lurk there, astrophysicists have searched in vain for this enigmatic ninth planet. But other theories have alsoread more

  Earth, at least for now, is the most habitable planet that we’re aware of, having been home to lifeforms for nearly the entirety of the planet’s existence, now boasting a complex and diverse biosphere that is (probably) the envy of the Solar System. But while it’s not hard toread more

The current search for life on planets outside our own solar system consists of analyzing the chemical signatures in their atmospheres, transmitted via the light from the planet’s host star as it either shines through, or is reflected off of, those atmospheres. Researchers look for gases that could be produced by biological processes, such as methane or oxygen, some sort of sign that something is metabolizing on a planet far, far away.read more

NASA has just announced that it will be holding a news conference on Wednesday, February 22 at which a major new exoplanet discovery will be revealed. Does this mean that evidence, or even proof, of life on a planet orbiting another star has been found? That is certainly what the announcement suggests.
Stay tuned!
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