Tholin-flavored layer cake on Titan
A new two-layer model of radar scattering seeks to explain the unique properties of various terrains on Saturn’s largest moon.
Intelligent ways to search for extraterrestrial intelligence
Many present and near-future technologies can enable refined searches for so-called technosignatures, potentially providing evidence of extraterrestrial life in the universe.
Terrestrial analogs: A slice of Mars in your own backyard
Sites on Earth that are similar to geologic features on other planets can be studied to better understand other worlds and even prepare for future exploration.
It’s alive! Mars may continue to periodically spew volcanic materials
Properties of an atypical geologic feature on Mars indicate a volcanic eruption occurred as recent as a few tens of thousands of years ago.
WARNING: Too much radiogenic heat could hurt exoplanet habitability
One-dimensional models show how the expected variability in radiogenic heat from U and Th in a rocky planet’s mantle could control the presence of a magnetic field and thus habitability.