Questions tagged [astrobiology]
Questions about the origins of life on Earth, and the existence and detection of extraterrestrial life.
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Do we know the fluctuations and constant temperature depth of the moon?
Disclaimer: I have no formal scientific training.
From what I understand, surface temperature effects on Earth extend only so far into the ground so that at a certain depth the temperature remains ...
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Why do aliens have to be carbon based lifeforms?
So correct me if I'm wrong, but when searching for extra terrestrial life, scientists usually search for signs they would expect for life on earth to thrive in. We look for conditions on planets that ...
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Could the James Webb Space Telescope detect biosignals on exoplanets?
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) which is slated to launch in 2018 will bring us a better view of exoplanets, but will it be sufficient to detect signs of life on at least some of those worlds?
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Serious alternate form of the Drake Equation, or graffiti?
Where I live it is very common to see jackets and T-shirts with familiar yet casually garbled or modified content (example)
I recently spotted what looked a lot like the Drake equation on the back of ...
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Do M dwarf stars emit the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum necessary for photosynthesis?
I read a lot of press as of late about earth size planets around the habitable zone of M dwarf stars. I am not an astronomer but I assume this means that the distance will allow liquid water to exist.
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Life forms on planets not requiring water and oxygen as basic building blocks [closed]
When scientists explore other planets such as Mars, they look for life derived from water and oxygen (correct me if I am wrong) with a purpose to see whether that planet is habitable for humans or not....
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Have there been any searches for extraterrestrial life which doesn't require water, oxygen and carbon?
This is question is similar to this, but that question has already been voted to be closed. I will add though that I joined this website today, so I am still learning how to write a good question here....
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Low mass cut-off for the Dharma Planet Survey's detection of habitable planets around 40 Eridani A?
News of the discovery of a potentially habitable planet around the star 40 Eridani A (about 16 light-years away) is interesting for reasons including a 1991 letter described below in Sky & ...
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What part of a star's habitable zone has the best chance of developing life?
I was thinking about superhabitable worlds a while ago, and I figured the best position regarding probability of life would be nearer the outer habitable zone, since it's easier to develop a ...
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