Posts by

Paul Scott Anderson

Does Chiron have rings? Or ring mimics?

A new study suggests that the possible rings around the centaur Chiron in the outer solar system are instead "evolving material" that mimics rings.

Paul Scott Anderson

December 14, 2023

Can haze on water worlds aid in the search for life?

Researchers at Johns Hopkins are simulating haze on water worlds. The haze muddles observations but can also help determine if an exoplanet is habitable.

Paul Scott Anderson

December 11, 2023

Rocky exoplanets can form in the most extreme environments

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has found molecular building blocks of rocky exoplanets in a region previously thought to be too extreme and hostile.

Paul Scott Anderson

December 7, 2023

1st planet-forming disk found in another galaxy

For the first time, astronomers have discovered a planet-forming disk around a young star in another galaxy outside our own Milky Way galaxy.

Paul Scott Anderson

December 5, 2023

What the Chinese Zhurong rover found beneath Mars’ surface

China's Zhurong rover has found polygonal wedges below the surface in Utopia Planitia on Mars. Freeze-thaw cycles of water and ice likely created the polygons.

Paul Scott Anderson

December 3, 2023

Space Force to track ‘abnormal objects of unknown origin’

The U.S. Space Force wants to track objects near Earth that exhibit 'abnormal observables' and are of 'unknown origin.' Could there be a connection to UAP?

Paul Scott Anderson

November 30, 2023

Nearby exoplanet is Earth twin, but hot as a pizza oven

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope measured the exact diameter of a nearby Earth-sized exoplanet. The sizzling world is too hot for life, however.

Paul Scott Anderson

November 29, 2023

Shrinking exoplanets? Here’s how it happens

Scientists say they may have solved the mystery of shrinking exoplanets. Radiation from the cores of less massive sub-Neptunes pushes away their atmospheres.

Paul Scott Anderson

November 26, 2023

‘Bouncing comets’ could spread the seeds of life

Researchers in the U.K. said in a new study that 'bouncing comets' in some planetary systems could deliver prebiotic molecules needed for life to young planets.

Paul Scott Anderson

November 24, 2023

Salt glaciers on Mercury could harbor habitable niches

Researchers have found evidence of glaciers on Mercury. They are composed of salt, not ice, and could potentially create habitable niches for microorganisms.

Paul Scott Anderson

November 22, 2023

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.