Astrochemistry
Amounts Of Organic Molecules In Planetary Systems Differ From Early On 
An international group of scientists led by the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research have studied the chemical composition of 50 protoplanetary-disk forming regions in the Perseus Molecular Cloud, and found that despite being in the same cloud, the amounts of complex organic molecules they contain are quite different.
Astrochemistry
Long-awaited Review Reveals Journey Of Water From Interstellar Clouds To Habitable Worlds
Dutch astronomer Ewine van Dishoeck (Leiden University, the Netherlands), together with an international team of colleagues, has written an overview of everything we know about water in interstellar clouds thanks to the Herschel space observatory.
Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Earth's Crust Mineralogy Drives Hotspots For Intraterrestrial Life
Below the verdant surface and organic rich soil, life extends kilometers into Earth's deep rocky crust. The continental deep subsurface is likely one of the largest reservoirs of bacteria and archaea on Earth, many forming biofilms - like a microbial coating of the rock surface.
Microbiology
Microbe Discovered That Has Been In Evolutionary Stasis For Millions Of Years
It's like something out of science fiction. Research led by Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences has revealed that a group of microbes, which feed off chemical reactions triggered by radioactivity, have been at an evolutionary standstill for millions of years.
Extrasolar Planets
Five Carbon- and Nitrogen-bearing Species In A Hot Giant Planet's Atmosphere
The atmospheres of gaseous giant exoplanets orbiting close to their parent stars (hot Jupiters) have been probed for nearly two decades.
Astrochemistry
More Than 5,000 Tons Of Extraterrestrial Dust Fall To Earth Each Year
Every year, our planet encounters dust from comets and asteroids. These interplanetary dust particles pass through our atmosphere and give rise to shooting stars. Some of them reach the ground in the form of micrometeorites.
Moons and Icy Worlds
Probing for Life in the Icy Crusts of Ocean Worlds
A technique for scanning Mars rocks for microscopic fossils of ancient life is also being developed to hunt for microbes in the deep ice of Enceladus, Titan, and Europa.
Plant Biology
Seven Ways the International Space Station Helps Us Study Plant Growth in Space
As NASA plans long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, a key factor is figuring out how to feed crews during their weeks, months, and even years in space.
Extrasolar Planets
Quantifying the Classification of Exoplanets: in Search for the Right Habitability Metric
What is habitability? Can we quantify it? What do we mean under the term habitable or potentially habitable planet?
Astrogeology
Earth's Carbon Deficit Caused By Early Loss Through Irreversible Sublimation
Carbon is an essential element for life but its behavior during Earth's accretion is not well understood.
Habitable Zones & Global Climate
Alien Raindrops Are Surprisingly Like Rain On Earth
Raindrops on other planets and moons are close to the size of raindrops on Earth despite having different chemical compositions and falling through vastly different atmospheres, a new study finds.
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- 12 Apr: Breaktrhough Discuss: “The Alpha Centauri System: A Beckoning Neighbor”
- 12 Apr: The Future of Security in Space: A Thirty-Year US Strategy
- 14 Apr: NASA Advisory Council Science Committee Meeting
- 15 Apr: Peaceful Moon Salon: International Coordination for Lunar Exploration
- 20 Apr: NASA SMD Community Town Hall
- 26 Apr: Nobel Prize Summit ‘Our Planet, Our Future’
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