Scientists are striving to understand the conditions that make life possible on other planets. Simply identifying why some planets are wet and others are dry could go a long way toward narrowing down ...

It is naturally found in low concentrations on our planet, but the recent discovery of D₂O in space has helped astronomers to ...

New experimental research demonstrates that sub-Neptune exoplanets, the most common class discovered, could possess large quantities of liquid water. The study simulated early planetary conditions, ...

In the swirling clouds of gas and dust that surround newborn stars, planets begin to form. These planet-forming disks are rich with clues about how worlds like Earth come to be. Until now, scientists ...

An artist’s depiction of an exoplanet larger than Earth and smaller than Neptune. A blue planet in the foreground blocks the light of a star. Recent high-temperature, high-pressure experiments suggest ...

Water is essential for life on Earth. So, the liquid must be a requirement for life on other worlds. For decades, scientists’ definition of habitability on other planets has rested on this assumption.

Alien life could exist on hot, rocky planets, sustained not by water but by a type of salty fluid, new research suggests. Reading time 3 minutes The search for alien life usually hinges on finding the ...

When astronomers search for planets that could host liquid water on their surface, they start by looking at a star's habitable zone. Water is a key ingredient for life, and on a planet too close to ...