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Sciworthy

The Encyclopedia of Science's Frontier

Category: What might life look like elsewhere in the Universe?

What might life look like elsewhere in the Universe? How do we search for life?
This rendering shows a snapshot from a cosmological simulation of a Lyman-alpha Blob similar to LAB-1. This simulation tracks the evolution of gas and dark matter using one of the latest models for galaxy formation running on the NASA Pleiades supercomputer. This view shows the distribution of gas within the dark matter halo, colour coded so that cold gas (mainly neutral hydrogen) appears red and hot gas appears white. Embedded at the centre of this system are two strongly star-forming galaxies, but these are surrounded by hot gas and many smaller satellite galaxies that appear as small red clumps of gas here. Lyman-alpha photons escape from the central galaxies and scatter off the cold gas associated with these satellites to give rise to an extended Lyman-alpha Blob.
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Astronomers find distant galaxies with neural networks

Posted on April 7, 2025April 2, 2025 by Ben Pauley

Researchers developed a computer algorithm that correctly predicted the light emission characteristics of ancient faraway galaxies based on…

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    Exoplanets with weird orbits might be more habitable

    Posted on September 23, 2024September 20, 2024 by Ben Pauley

    Astronomers modeled the ideal climatic and atmospheric conditions for exoplanets and found that planets with non-circular orbits had more…

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      Could life survive in the plumes of Enceladus?

      Posted on September 16, 2024September 16, 2024 by Meri Herrero

      Researchers showed that simple microorganisms could survive rapid boiling in conditions mimicking the geysers of water shooting out of…

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        How complex life arose under extreme stress

        Posted on August 12, 2024August 12, 2024 by Meri Herrero

        Scientists discovered molecules that helped the first complex life forms build strong cell membranes to withstand extreme environments.

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          Could tardigrades survive on Mars?

          Posted on August 5, 2024August 12, 2024 by Aubrey Zerkle

          Researchers found tiny, indestructible “water bears” survived exposure to high levels of toxic salts similar to those found in Martian…

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            Could “iron snow” fuel life in Europa’s ocean?

            Posted on June 6, 2024July 30, 2024 by Meri Herrero

            Scientists calculated that microorganisms breathing iron oxide “snow” could produce enough energy to survive on Jupiter's icy moon…

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              Could we find evidence for life in fool’s gold?

              Posted on November 21, 2022March 12, 2024 by Sciworthy

              Scientists looked for biosignatures in fool's gold from a Mars-like environment . They found small filaments within the rock that may once…

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                "Blood" colored snow from algae
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                How to spot colorful life on icy exoplanets

                Posted on November 7, 2022May 8, 2023 by Aubrey Zerkle

                In recent decades, astronomers have discovered more than 5000 planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system, with nearly 9000 more…

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                  Nebula
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                  When life detoxifies itself, it leaves behind a helpful sign

                  Posted on October 3, 2022October 24, 2022 by Sciworthy

                  Scientists found that a methylated gas produced by life as a waste product of detoxification could serve as a remotely observable sign of…

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                    assorted planet decor
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                    How do we choose which planets to search for life?

                    Posted on September 19, 2022October 24, 2022 by Sciworthy

                    Scientists used computer models to determine how likely a planet is to be habitable by its age, size, and distance from its sun.

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                      Want to become an Astrobiologist?

                      Want to become an Astrobiologist?
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                      Could tardigrades survive on Mars?

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                      Exoplanets with weird orbits might be more habitable

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