Photo of an Extrasolar Planet
Astronomers have released the first picture of a potential extrasolar planet that orbits a sun-like star. The newly-imaged planet may alter our understanding of planetary formation.

Science by the Light of the Moon
Researchers, students and professionals from around the world gathered in July at the NASA Lunar Science Conference to discuss the future of robotic and human exploration of the moon.

Luck Gave Dinosaurs an Edge
A new study shows that early dinosaurs survived two mass extinctions before they became dominant on Earth. Interestingly, it appears that their survival may have been based on luck alone.

Ratio is All in the Timing
A new study of carbon in seafloor sediments is helping scientists better understand the timing of life's origin on Earth. The findings may also change our assumptions about the history of Earth's carbon cycle.

When Microbes Move In
A team working high in the Peruvian Andes has discovered how microbes swiftly colonize barren soils uncovered by melting glaciers. The study shows how microbes are able to establish themselves in one of Earth's most extreme environments, and how these unique organisms are adapting to climate change.

Mini-Sub for Small Spaces
New from the Nordic issue of Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is a story about a tiny submarine. Swedish researchers are developing a remote-controlled submersible that can fit through drilled holes in thick ice caps, and this technology could be a forerunner to probes that may one day venture to Jupiter's moon Europa.

Prolonged Precipitation
A new study suggests that recurrent floods carved valley networks on Mars during a long period of time when the climate of Mars resembled arid regions on Earth. The study is an important step toward understanding the potential for past life on the Red Planet.

Solar Shift
Forty years ago, strange oxygen isotopes in a meteorite were found to be different than any known planetary rock – including those from Earth and Mars. Scientists are getting closer to solving the riddle, and providing new information about the early solar system in the process.

Looking for Life on Mars – in a Canadian Lake
At first glance, Pavilion Lake, in British Columbia, looks like just another idyllic vacation spot. But beneath its surface lie some of the most unusual carbonate formations on Earth. Unusual enough that, this summer, researchers hauled a pair of miniature submarines up the lake to find out whether or not bacteria were involved in building the distinctive structures.

Cometary Missing Link
Scientists have identified an interesting solar system object whose orbit is backwards around the sun and which may help us understand the origin of certain comets. The finding also could yield clues about the early solar system.