Galactic cosmic rays — high-energy particles from outside the solar system — could theoretically power life on certain frigid worlds. The radiation can trigger chemical reactions underground, whose ...

An exoplanet with some key ingredients to support life may be lurking closer than we thought. Around a star just 20 light-years from the Solar System, astronomers have confirmed the existence of what ...

Astronomers have narrowed down the cosmic search for life, identifying fewer than 50 rocky planets among thousands of known ...

The ocean floor hosts a remarkable diversity of plant life, vital for both marine ecosystems and the planet’s health. Unlike land plants, underwater flora must adapt to low light, high pressure, and ...

Oceans aren’t just for Earth. A new study suggests that one of Saturn’s moons boasts a large ocean sloshing atop a rocky seabed, offering some of the outer solar system’s best real estate for living ...

Life on Mars sounds like something from a "Doctor Who" episode. But a study published in the International Journal of Astrobiology challenges the science fiction notion of that idea. The research ...

Astronomers have discovered strong evidence for a giant gas planet in a nearby solar system – with moons that could be habitable. The planet was first detected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) ...

Is the universe 'tuned' to support life, and ultimately us? Physicists Nemanja Kaloper and Alexander Westphal have proposed ways to test this Anthropic principle. (Image of deep star field from the ...

When exposed to ultraviolet light, some minerals glow, a phenomenon known as fluorescence. Scientists are studying these fluorescent minerals to better understand the conditions that support life in ...

When it comes to searching for places in our solar system beyond Earth that could be habitable, some of the most promising targets are moons. Scientists are hunting for life on Jupiter's moon Europa ...