Posts by 

Paul Scott Anderson

Is a surprisingly massive exomoon orbiting this big exoplanet?

Astronomers using the Very Large Telescope might have found a massive exomoon - 40% the mass of Jupiter - orbiting a giant exoplanet 133 light-years away.

Life in Europa’s ocean still possible, new research suggests

New research shows that life in Europa's ocean could be maintained by chemical nutrients sinking into the ocean from the icy crust above.

Quantum computers and exoplanets: New view of distant worlds

Quantum computers and exoplanets: Distant planets around other stars are difficult to image. But quantum computers could help astronomers see them better.

New evidence for ancient Mars ocean found in giant canyon

Evidence for an ancient Mars ocean keeps growing. Deltas in the Valles Marineris canyon along the former shoreline show that the ocean covered half the planet.

Powerful magnetic fields on super-Earths could boost chances of life

A new study said powerful magnetic fields on super-Earths could help shield them from radiation from their stars, making them potentially more friendly to life.

New survey of nearest stars reveals best spots for life

A new survey of nearest stars to the sun - more than 2,000 of them - is helping astronomers determine which ones are the most likely to have habitable planets.

Do aliens and fireflies communicate similarly?

Advanced aliens and fireflies on Earth might communicate in similar ways, by using signals of flashing light, a new theoretical study suggests.

Europa’s ocean ‘quiet and lifeless,’ new research suggests

Is Europa's ocean habitable? A new study suggests it might be 'quiet and lifeless', with little to no geologic activity on the seafloor.

New research says icy lakes on Mars lasted for decades

The ancient lake in Gale crater - and other icy lakes on Mars - could have been liquid below the surface for decades thanks to seasonal surface ice.

Saturn-mass rogue planet revealed in unique new observations

Astronomers have discovered a Saturn-mass rogue planet nearly 10,000 light-years away. It's the 1st one found using both observatories on Earth and in space.