Posts by

Paul Scott Anderson

Is there life on Titan? If so, it’s very rare

Could there be microbial life on Titan? New research suggests that despite being rich in organics, Titan might only be able to support a few pounds of microbes.

Paul Scott Anderson

April 15, 2025

Not all mudball meteorites are weak, new study shows

The Aguas Zarcas mudball meteorites, which landed in Costa Rica in 2019, were stronger than expected. A new study shows that not all mudballs are weak.

Paul Scott Anderson

April 13, 2025

Hydrothermal activity on Mars? Rover finds tantalizing new clues

NASA's Perseverance rover has found silica-rich rocks, including - for the 1st time - quartz. It's compelling evidence of ancient hydrothermal activity on Mars.

Paul Scott Anderson

April 10, 2025

Hubble reveals weird Uranus in new 20-year study

The Hubble Space Telescope's 20-year study of Uranus has yielded new insights about the enigmatic ice giant's atmosphere and how it might compare to exoplanets.

Paul Scott Anderson

April 9, 2025

Birthplaces of new planets are more varied than once thought

Researchers using the ALMA observatory have found that protoplanetary disks - the birthplaces of new planets - vary in size much more than previously thought.

Paul Scott Anderson

April 3, 2025

Alien life? Mammoth new telescope could find it in hours

The upcoming Extremely Large Telescope could revolutionize the search for alien life, analyzing the atmospheres of nearby "Earth-like" planets in only hours.

Paul Scott Anderson

April 2, 2025

Surprisingly big organic molecules on Mars: A hint of life?

NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered the most complex organic molecules ever seen on Mars, the remains of fatty acids up to an incredible 12 carbon atoms long.

Paul Scott Anderson

March 27, 2025

Famous, rare ‘pinwheel death star’ isn’t a threat after all

A new study from the Keck Observatory confirms that 2 massive stars in the pinwheel death star won't send a gamma-ray burst toward Earth after all.

Paul Scott Anderson

March 26, 2025

See colorful giant exoplanets in astonishing new Webb images

NASA's Webb space telescope has obtained stunning new images of 5 young and colorful giant exoplanets. All of them have carbon dioxide-rich atmospheres.

Paul Scott Anderson

March 25, 2025

Rare Kuiper Belt triplet might be one of many

Is Altjira a Kuiper Belt triplet system? Astronomers thought there were 2 rocky objects close together. But new Hubble and Keck observations suggest it's 3.

Paul Scott Anderson

March 19, 2025

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.