Was the rise of humanity simply a matter of luck? A new theory says no, that we - and perhaps other intelligent life - are the probable outcome of evolution.
How and why did Earth's ice caps form? A new study suggests they are a rare event in the planet's history, the result of multiple coincidental cooling events.
Astronomers in Europe said they have discovered what might be the smallest exoplanet found so far. If real, it is smaller than our moon and orbits a pulsar.
Samples from asteroid Bennu brought back to Earth in 2023 contain molecular building blocks for life, evidence of ancient salty water, and something mysterious.
The Rubin Observatory will find millions of exploding white dwarfs, or Type Ia supernovae. Astronomers can use them to measure the universe and dark energy.
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.