Strongest hints yet of biological activity outside the solar system
17 April 2025Astronomers have detected the most promising signs yet of a possible biosignature outside the solar system, although they remain cautious.
Astronomers have detected the most promising signs yet of a possible biosignature outside the solar system, although they remain cautious.
An international team of astronomers led by the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge has used data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to discover methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of K2-18 b, an exoplanet in the ‘Goldilocks zone’. This is the first time that carbon-based molecules have been discovered in the atmosphere of an exoplanet in the habitable zone.
Five ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge researchers have been awarded Consolidator Grants from the European Research Council, the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research.
A new class of exoplanet very different to our own, but which could support life, has been identified by astronomers, which could greatly accelerate the search for life outside our Solar System.
Astronomers have found an exoplanet more than twice the size of Earth to be potentially habitable, opening the search for life to planets significantly larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune.
̽»¨Ö±²¥most extensive survey of atmospheric chemical compositions of exoplanets to date has revealed trends that challenge current theories of planet formation and has implications for the search for water in the solar system and beyond.
̽»¨Ö±²¥2019 Pilkington Prizes were awarded last night (25th June) to thirteen highly gifted and committed teachers from a variety of disciplines. This year’s prizewinners demonstrate an impressive array of achievements, including developing innovative courses from scratch, incorporating the latest research into undergraduate teaching, pioneering the creative use of technology to support learning, and supporting and encouraging inclusive teaching.
An international team of researchers have identified ‘fingerprints’ of multiple metals in one of the least dense exoplanets ever found.Â
An international team of astronomers has detected titanium oxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time. ̽»¨Ö±²¥, reported in the journal Nature, provide unique information about the chemical composition and the temperature and pressure structure of the atmosphere of this unusual and very hot world.
An international exoplanet ‘think tank’ is meeting this week in Cambridge to deliberate on the ten most important questions that humanity could answer in the next decade about planets outside our solar system.