Posts by

Paul Scott Anderson

Using radio waves to discover and study exoplanets

A new study from researchers in the Netherlands shows how scientists can detect exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars, and learn about their environments, from the radio waves generated by auroras on those worlds.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 24, 2020

Water in the shadows of boulders on Mars?

A new study from the Planetary Research Institute suggests that briny water could temporarily form on Mars' surface in the shadows of boulders for just a few days each Martian year.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 16, 2020

Mysterious fast radio burst repeats in 16-day rhythm

For the first time, a fast radio burst has been found to be repeating, in a regular 16-day cycle. The baffling detection from the CHIME radio telescope deepens the mystery of these bizarre intergalactic objects.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 13, 2020

Sand dunes can ‘communicate’ with each other

For the first time, a new experiment from the University of Cambridge has shown how sand dunes "communicate" and interact with each other as they move.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 11, 2020

Why Neptune and Uranus are different

We think of Uranus and Neptune almost as twins. In some ways, they are very similar. But a new study by researchers at PlanetS explains why, in some aspects, they are also radically different.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 9, 2020

Beautiful outcome of a fight between sibling stars

In a cosmic 'stellar fight,' a red giant star engulfed its smaller binary companion star. The chaos, however, created a beautiful space image.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 5, 2020

Tarantula Nebula seen through the eyes of Spitzer

Stunning new Spitzer Space Telescope image of the Tarantula Nebula in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud dwarf galaxy. Spitzer ended its 16-year mission on January 30.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 3, 2020

Study suggests early Earth’s atmosphere was rich in carbon dioxide

Scientists studying tiny ancient meteorites have found evidence that Earth's atmosphere used to contain much more carbon dioxide, and maybe less nitrogen, than it does now.

Paul Scott Anderson

February 2, 2020

Study says Enceladus’ inner complexity is good for life

The interior of Saturn's moon Enceladus is geochemically complex, making its subsurface ocean quite habitable for possible life, according to a new study from Southwest Research Institute.

Paul Scott Anderson

January 29, 2020

Is there a 2nd planet orbiting Proxima Centauri?

Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our sun, may have a second planet, according to researchers from the National Institute of Astrophysics. If confirmed, it would be an ideal candidate for direct imaging by new upcoming space telescopes.

Paul Scott Anderson

January 27, 2020

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.