Posts by

Paul Scott Anderson

Icy moons’ puzzling features may be due to salty ice

Researchers at the University of Washington have created new forms of salty ice hydrates. They might explain unusual surface markings on icy moons like Europa.

Paul Scott Anderson

March 2, 2023

59 new exoplanets discovered around nearby stars

Astronomers have discovered 59 new exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars. Twelve are potentially habitable. They all lie within 65 light-years of our sun.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 28, 2023

Auroras on Jupiter’s moons seen in new light

Astronomers have detected auroras on Jupiter's moons in visible light wavelengths for the 1st time using the Keck telescope in Hawaii, and other telescopes.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 24, 2023

Will brain changes in fighter pilots help astronauts?

Researchers in Belgium showed how brain changes in fighter pilots can help astronauts cope with the effects of space travel.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 21, 2023

Of 4 types of planetary systems, ours is rarest

A new study suggests there are 4 types of planetary systems. The Ordered class, which includes our own solar system, is the rarest.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 17, 2023

Nearby Earth-size exoplanet may be habitable

Meet Wolf 1069 b, an Earth-size exoplanet only 31 light-years away that resides in its star's habitable zone. It's an ideal target in the search for alien life.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 16, 2023

Saturn’s moon Mimas might have an ocean

A new study suggests that Saturn's moon Mimas may have a subsurface ocean. If so, the "Death Star" moon would join other ocean moons in the outer solar system.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 12, 2023

Magnetar slowed down by a volcano-like eruption?

Astronomers say they think they know why a rapidly spinning magnetar slowed down suddenly in 2020. They say a powerful volcano-like eruption is to blame.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 6, 2023

AI search for aliens yields 8 potential signals

An international team of scientists says that a sophisticated new AI search for aliens has already found 8 potential 'signals of interest' from 5 nearby stars.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 5, 2023

Webb discovers ices in a dark molecular cloud

NASA's Webb discovers ices: The new space telescope has found a wide variety of frozen molecules in a dark molecular cloud 360 light-years away.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 3, 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.