Posts by

Paul Scott Anderson

The rings of Chariklo are unexpectedly dynamic and changing

New observations by the James Webb Space Telescope show that the rings of Chariklo, a Centaur in the outer solar system, changed over a period of a few years.

Paul Scott Anderson

September 16, 2026

Did Venus have a moon for nearly 2 billion years?

Venus had a moon a long time ago, scientists in the US and France say. It likely survived for nearly 2 billion years until Venus' gravity tore it apart.

Paul Scott Anderson

September 15, 2026

Alien tech on the moon? Scientists propose search for microscopic debris

Could there be alien tech on the moon? Scientists propose a new search for microscopic particles shed by alien technology.

Paul Scott Anderson

September 13, 2026

Peptides in Venus’ clouds could form life-giving shapes

A new study from MIT shows that peptides in Venus' clouds could survive in the sulfuric acid droplets and fold into the shapes need for biological life.

Paul Scott Anderson

September 9, 2026

These microbes in Antarctica don’t live anywhere else

Researchers have discovered that some microbes in Antarctica are unique to the icy continent and are found nowhere else on Earth.

Paul Scott Anderson

September 6, 2026

Mars’ southern hemisphere is unusually hot deep underground

A new study from Caltech shows that Mars' southern hemisphere is much hotter than expected deep below the surface. Why is that?

Paul Scott Anderson

September 4, 2026

Giant mega-Earth is 23 times more massive than Earth

Astronomers have discovered a new giant mega-Earth exoplanet that is a whopping 23 times as massive as Earth and 2.5 times its diameter.

Paul Scott Anderson

September 3, 2026

How do lava-world exoplanets keep their atmospheres?

A new study from researchers at Stanford University helps explain how hot lava-world exoplanets orbiting close to their stars can maintain their atmospheres.

Paul Scott Anderson

September 1, 2026

‘Jellyfish’ on Mars: Image from Curiosity rover goes viral

What is this odd 'jellyfish' on Mars? Possibilities include a cosmic ray artifact, an electronic artifact and what astronomers call a "transient phenomenon." The image went viral this week!

Paul Scott Anderson

August 29, 2026

Meet a Saturn-sized exoplanet with Earth-like temperatures

TOI-199b is a warm Saturn-sized exoplanet 330 light-years away. New observations by the Webb space telescope show there is methane in its atmosphere.

Paul Scott Anderson

August 28, 2026

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Paul Scott Anderson

Paul Scott Anderson has had a passion for space exploration that began when he was a child when he watched Carl Sagan’s Cosmos. He studied English, writing, art and computer/publication design in high school and college. He later started his blog The Meridiani Journal in 2005, which was later renamed Planetaria. He also later started the blog Fermi Paradoxica, about the search for life elsewhere in the universe. While interested in all aspects of space exploration, his primary passion is planetary science and SETI. In 2011, he started writing about space on a freelance basis with Universe Today. He has also written for SpaceFlight Insider and AmericaSpace and has also been published in The Mars Quarterly. He also did some supplementary writing for the iOS app Exoplanet. He has been writing for EarthSky since 2018, and also assists with proofing and social media.