The hunt for habitable ocean worlds beyond our solar system
24 October 2022
Astronomers think that planets covered in water, with oceans hundreds of metres deep, could be relatively common in our galaxy. Now the race is on to find one
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Found 15 results for dwarf planet
Earth's algae and moss could survive under the light of another star
21 September 2022
Experiments on Earth mimicking the rays from a red dwarf star show that cyanobacteria, algae and moss can grow under these light conditions, backing the idea that some exoplanets could host life
Alien plants: The search for photosynthesis on other worlds
5 May 2021
Looking for signs of life in exoplanet atmospheres is fraught with uncertainty. But now that we can detect polarised light reflected directly off other worlds, we could spot unmistakable evidence of photosynthesis
Strange worlds unlike Earth may be our best bet to find alien life
26 August 2020
From rogue worlds that roam the cosmos alone to Tatooines that orbit two suns, astronomers are expanding our definition of habitable exoplanets
How many planets have been discovered?
13 July 2020
So far we've found thousands of exoplanets, and this number is rising fast.
Solar flares and cosmic rays may make Proxima b warm enough for life
12 March 2020
Proxima Centauri b, a planet orbiting our nearest stellar neighbour, is being blasted with cosmic rays and solar flares – which could make it warm enough to host life
We could find alien life on exoplanets by looking for its glow
20 August 2019
Most of the closest exoplanets we’ve found orbit stars that can release flares of dangerous UV light, but those very flares might force life to evolve to glow
Why weird star systems are where we'll find alien life
18 July 2018
In the hunt for life beyond Earth, we've been looking for planets and stars like our own. But that is flawed – and a new plan promises answers in our lifetimes
Life on nearest exoplanet may have been wiped out by superflare
10 April 2018
Bad news for life near Proxima Centauri – the star has been seen emitting explosive blasts of radiation that would destroy the ozone on its Earth-like planet
Planets near dangerous stars could shield alien life under smog
4 December 2017
Red and white dwarfs make nasty neighbours due to spurts of deadly radiation, but alien life could still form on planets nearby if shielded by smog or oceans
