Solar System Reversals
February 9, 2015
The planets keep going around, but theories about them often stop and go backward or sideways. When nothing else works, send in the impactors!
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Blow to Supernova Nucleogenesis Theory
January 20, 2015
There's 100 times less of a radioactive element on the ocean floor than expected.
Star Trek for Real: Impenetrable Force Field Protects Earth
November 29, 2014
Radiation belts discovered at the dawn of the space age have a new trick in their pocket: shielding the Earth.
Moon's Stabilizing Influence Depends on Star Size
October 15, 2014
A connection between multiple factors was noted in a recent model of how a moon helps a planet remain habitable.
The Meek Control the Earth
September 6, 2014
How can such a small thing affect the geology and climate of the whole planet? Don't underestimate the power of small creatures.
Planet Rotation Limits Habitability
August 15, 2014
Life can't exist on a planet that rotates too fast or slow. This is another Goldilocks problem for astrobiologists to consider.
Without Bromine, There Would Be No Animals
June 13, 2014
A 28th element has proven to be essential for life: bromine.
To Be Habitable, a Planet Needs Inhabitants
June 6, 2014
In a chicken-or-egg conundrum, astrobiologists are asking whether inhabitants are needed to make a planet habitable.
Astrobiology Hopes Dim with Exoplanet Findings
June 3, 2014
Harsh "space weather" around dim red dwarf stars may make planets uninhabitable. "Godzilla Earths" may not fare much better.
Every Planet Surprises Secular Astronomers, II: Outer Planets
May 3, 2014
"Surprise" or "puzzling" are the most common words in news reports about bodies in the solar system. Here are recent examples that discuss the outer planets.
Stellar Dust Disks Crumble
March 31, 2014
Observations show stellar dust disks fragmenting into smaller dust, not growing into planets.
New Craters Found on Mars
February 13, 2014
Orbiters can count new craters forming on Mars, refining cratering rates. One spectacular new crater has appeared since 2010 with vivid rays.
Imagining Worlds – No Evidence Required
January 11, 2014
Science fiction is fun, but science demands evidence, not imagination.
Cosmic Lottery: How Many Habitable Planets?
November 23, 2013
News media ran with a suggestion that one in five stars has a habitable planet, but they didn't read the fine print.
Planet Habitable Zone Cannot Be Too Windy
September 19, 2013
The "habitable zone" of a planet usually concerns its distance from the star such that it can support liquid water. But what if the star fries the surface with intense stellar winds?