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| A Sliver of a Chance for Life on Mars |
| Topic: Mars |
02/26/09 |
| The Phoenix Mars Lander witnessed water vapor adsorbing into the martian soil each night. Researchers suspect the films of water that resulted are probably too thin for life now, but they may have been thick enough millions of years ago. |
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| Plate Tectonics Could be Essential for Life |
| Topic: Geology |
02/19/09 |
| Planetary scientists have been considering the potential importance of plate tectonics. Some believe that this geological process is essential for the development of complex lifeforms, and in the future could even be used as a biosignature to detect habitable worlds. |
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| Ice Age Aliens |
| Topic: Alien Life |
02/12/09 |
| The light reflected off of vegetation could be a signal of life on an alien planet. Researchers have now shown that this plant life signal can be seen even if a world is in the midst of an ice age. |
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| Stepping-Stone to the Stars |
| Topic: Moon to Mars |
01/22/09 |
| There is fierce debate over the direction humanity should take when exploring the solar system. One argument claims that a "one step at a time" approach is essential, with Moon bases being the next key step. |
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| Hiding from Jupiter's Radiation |
| Topic: Jupiter |
01/19/09 |
| The intense radiation around Jupiter will complicate possible future missions to the moon Europa. A new project plans to create a "radiation weather map" that will help pinpoint regions where astrobiologically-relevant molecules may survive. |
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| Methane-Spewing Martians? |
| Topic: Mars |
01/15/09 |
| The methane found on Mars could be a sign of life on the red planet. Researchers are devising an instrument to measure the isotopic abundances that could distinguish a biological origin from a geological one. |
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| Turning Lunar Dust into Gold |
| Topic: Moon to Mars |
01/08/09 |
| Scientists recently conducted field tests in Hawai`i of equipment and rovers to be used on the Moon. The goal was to demonstrate how astronauts might prospect for lunar resources and make their own oxygen. |
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| Unmasking Europa |
| Topic: Europa |
12/15/08 |
| We may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but hopefully we can judge a moon by its surface. A scientist who worked on the Galileo mission has written a new book about the scratched and splotchy surface of Europa. |
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| Simulating Mars on Earth |
| Topic: Mars |
12/04/08 |
| By simulating conditions at and below the surface of Mars, experiments now suggest that bacterial life could exist below its sterile surface layer of soil. |
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| Hoping for Europa |
| Topic: Europa |
11/27/08 |
| NASA and ESA are now deciding on the next major mission to the outer solar system. One proposal is to visit two of Jupiter´s large moons, Ganymede and Europa. Astrobiologists have long hoped to study Europa more closely because its global ocean could harbor alien life. |
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