Posts by

Paul Scott Anderson

Earth’s ingredients pretty normal, say astronomers

Astronomers have discovered that the basic building blocks of some planetary systems are very similar to Earth's elements, helpful information in the search for truly Earth-like planets in other solar systems.

Paul Scott Anderson

August 20, 2018

Why so few galaxies in this distant region of space?

Galaxies aren't evenly distributed throughout the universe. But even so, this large region of space has far fewer galaxies than astronomers expected.

Paul Scott Anderson

August 18, 2018

Astronomers find weird rogue world with wild auroras

This free-floating rogue planet - untethered to any star - has a magnetic field millions of times more powerful than Earth's and auroras much more brilliant than our world's northern lights.

Paul Scott Anderson

August 14, 2018

Jupiter’s moon Ganymede has powerful chorus waves

Chorus waves can be converted to sound. The ones around Earth sound like singing or chirping birds. Jupiter has stronger chorus waves, and now its large moon - Ganymede - has been found to have chorus waves a million times stronger than Jupiter's.

Paul Scott Anderson

August 12, 2018

Astronomers discover new, enigmatic fast radio burst

Fast radio bursts - aka FRBs - are brief, powerful, puzzling bursts of radio waves from deep space. Now astronomers have detected a new and even more unusual type of FRB.

Paul Scott Anderson

August 9, 2018

Plate tectonics not necessary for alien life?

New research indicates that plate tectonics may not be necessary for life to evolve after all, increasing the chances that more exoplanets could support life of some kind.

Paul Scott Anderson

August 8, 2018

Scientists identify best exoplanets for Earth-like life

Scientists have now identified some exoplanets that might have suitable temperatures for liquid water and enough UV light for the chemistry thought to have led to life on Earth.

Paul Scott Anderson

August 5, 2018

Where to look for life on Titan

Saturn's moon Titan has lakes and seas, filled with liquid ethane and methane. But they might not be the best places to look for life, according to new research.

Paul Scott Anderson

August 2, 2018

An easier way to search for life on Europa

Jupiter's moon Europa is a promising place to search for evidence of alien life. New research provides insights on what might be the best - and easiest - way to search.

Paul Scott Anderson

July 29, 2018

Subsurface lake discovered on Mars?

ESA's Mars Express spacecraft has discovered the 1st evidence for a subsurface liquid lake on Mars. If it exists, this lake is likely salty and cold, but possibly habitable for some microorganisms.

Paul Scott Anderson

July 26, 2018

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.