Latest news with #Astrobiology
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Space photo of the day for May 16, 2025
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA's Perseverance rover captured this pre-dawn view of Mars' moon Deimos hanging over a dimly-lit Martian vista. Unlike Earth's moon, which is roughly one-fourth the planet's size, Deimos is less than 1/500th the size of Mars. That means when seen in the night sky — as spotted here at 4:27 a.m. local time on March 1, 2025, the 1,433rd Martian day, or sol, of Perseverance's mission — it appears more like a star than it does a celestial measures only 7.8 miles (12.6 kilometers) across. Deimos completes one orbit around Mars every 30 hours and 17 minutes at an average distance of 14,576 miles (23,458 kilometers) from the Martian surface. At the time this photo was taken, the Perseverance rover was making its way to a location called "Witch Hazel Hill." Another feature, "Woodstock Crater," at center right, is roughly a half-mile (750 meters) away from the rover. This vista is the product of 16 individual shots, which Perseverance assembled into a single photo that it then transmitted to Earth. In the dark before dawn, the rover's left navigation camera needed to use its maximum long-exposure time of 3.28 seconds for each of the 16 snaps. In total, the image represents an exposure time of about 52 image is hazy because the low light and long exposures can add digital noise to Perseverance's images. Many of the white specks in the sky are likely noise, with others the effects of cosmic rays. Two of the brighter white specks are Regulus and Algieba, stars that are part of the constellation Leo. You can read more about Deimos and NASA's Perseverance Mars can also read about another sight in the Martian sky, as Perseverance has become the first spacecraft to spot auroras from the surface of another world.
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
I know NASA is hiding evidence of aliens on Mars – I have photographic proof and here's why they're keeping it secret
NASA has already found signs of alien life on Mars but is still keeping it secret, a rogue scientist claims. Barry DiGregorio, 71, believes rovers from the space agency captured snaps of alien fossils on two different occasions. 6 6 6 In 2018, Nasa 's Curiosity rover took images of what it said likely show crystal growth. But DiGregorio accused Nasa of failing to investigate properly and spent two years researching the images himself. The author, who wrote Discovery on Vera Rubin Ridge, Trace Fossils on Mars, then concluded they were 'biogenic' - meaning they were produced by living organisms. He theorised Nasa was staying tight-lipped to boost interest in its hopes of sending humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s. DeGregorio, an honorary research fellow at Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, now claims Nasa found yet more evidence of alien life on Mars. He believes images snapped by the Perseverance rover in 2020 show signs of 'worm-like' aliens who roamed its historic oceans. The astrobiologist told The Sun: 'I watched the rover coming down right on its landing site. 'You could see the engines just brushing all the dust aside for the rocks to become apparent, and the very first images it took were these rocks that had holes in them. 'Then after China's Zhurong rover mission, they published a paper where they said all the rocks that they found were of sedimentary origin, and that they formed in In water.' DiGregorio then saw a striking resemblance to the trace fossils he'd grown up studying in Lake Ontario, on the border of Canada and the US. Meet Sunbird, Britain's secret space nuke that could help us colonise Mars… or even take trips to the edge of the galaxy He added: 'It made an intriguing hypothesis because I had always been fascinated by the trace fossils around Lake Ontario, I grew up around that area. 'We didn't have dinosaur fossils, but what we did have was lots of marine fossils dating back to the Ordovician era and even before. 'The sandstones that I found on the shores of Lake Ontario I felt were a good analogy to what we were seeing on Mars. 'Now we know that those rocks there are marine sedimentary rocks, it solidifies it a bit.' And DiGregorio was so gobsmacked by the discovery he thought Nasa was preparing an announcement. But instead, he claims the rover failed to properly examine the rocks. He continued: 'So the fact that the Perseverance rover landed right on top of similar rocks was almost too much to bear. 'When I saw those rocks all over the place, I'm going, 'what? Oh my God'. 6 6 'I thought, for sure, Nasa is going to make a big announcement. 'And instead, what they did was they headed towards the opposite direction. So they didn't really analyse those rocks at all.' DiGregorio doesn't believe the images point to an alien civilisation, the kind that might be drawn up in a sci-fi film. But he does believe they were jellyfish-type figures that could move around. He added: 'The holes in the rocks tell me the story that bigger organisms were there, but they were essentially marine organisms. 'So wormy things, maybe fish, possibly jellyfish, really ancient type things that moved around. 'I'm thinking wormy-type things that were around during the Ediacaran period. 'Then the climate on Mars changed and the atmosphere changed. 'The water probably got absorbed into the soil and a lot of it left through the atmosphere due to the solar wind.' Mars facts Here's what you need to know about the red planet... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun It is named after the Roman god of war The landmass of Mars is very similar to Earth, but due to the difference in gravity, you could jump three times higher there than you can here. Mars is mountainous and hosts the tallest mountain known in the Solar System called Olympus Mons, which is three times higher than Everest Mars is considered the second most habitable planet after Earth. It takes the planet 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun The planet has a diameter of 4,212 miles, and has an average distance from Earth of 140 million miles Martian temperatures can vary wildly, reaching as high as 70F/20C or as low as -225F/-153C Nasa said after the Perseverance mission that the findings couldn't be fully analysed because sending the appropriate equipment was too complicated. But the agency is planning a sample return mission based on its findings, and did not rule out the possibility of the Perseverance photos pointing to signs of alien life. Yet asked why Nasa would continue to conceal everything it knows about the images, DiGregorio theorised it was because of the potential dangers to astronauts. Mars has an incredibly hostile environment compared to Earth. It fluctuates between extreme temperatures, and has a surface level radiation that would be incredibly harmful to humans. DiGregorio added: 'I think that they don't want to say anything about it because of the fact they are sending humans there. 'If you have microbes on Mars, and they say we've discovered life on Mars, it could be different to Earth life and could be toxic or dangerous to human astronauts. That's what I think it is.' According to Nasa's website, it hopes they will send humans to Mars in the 2030s. A Nasa spokesman, responding to DiGregorio's claims, told The Sun one of the agency's goals is to "understand whether Mars has, or ever has had life, and any credible evidence of potential past life." They insisted the agency will "continue to investigate the best of our ability". The spokesman added: "During its exploration of the Martian surface, Perseverance has encountered many interesting rock features, and the science team has determined which rocks are worth further investigation, and even sampling, based on all of the available data. "To date, NASA has yet to find any credible evidence of extraterrestrial life. "Our exploration of Mars also has to led to many images that evoke our natural curiosity and creativity of interpretation. 6 "Our science teams spend many hours debating what may have formed these visual features, while bringing to bear all of the additional information afforded by our incredibly outfitted rovers and orbiters. "While the science community continues to theorise these images point to possible crystal growth, Nasa's science missions are working together with a goal to find unmistakable signs of life beyond Earth." It comes after Nasa admitted a mysterious hole on Mars could be harbouring alien life in an extensive network of underground tunnels, From orbit, scientists have captured a deep pit on the Red Planet that looks like it leads underground. The image, titled "An unusual hole in Mars," shows a pockmarked planet that could be hiding tons of subterranean pockets. "There are numerous holes pictured in this Swiss cheese-like landscape, with all-but-one of them showing a dusty, dark, Martian terrain beneath evaporating, light, carbon dioxide ice," Nasa wrote. "The most unusual hole is on the upper right, spans about 100 meters, and seems to punch through to a lower level." It's unclear what caused the hole. Though scientists assume the circular crater that surrounds it suggests it was created by a meteor impact. "Holes such as this are of particular interest because they might be portals to lower levels that extend into expansive underground caves," Nasa explained. "If so, these naturally occurring tunnels are relatively protected from the harsh surface of Mars, making them relatively good candidates to contain Martian life. "These pits are therefore also prime targets for possible future spacecraft, robots, and even human interplanetary explorers." How long does it take to get to Mars? It's not that short of a trip... There's an immense distance between Earth and Mars, which means any trip to the red planet will take a very long time It's also made more complicated by the fact that the distance is constantly changing as the two planets rotate around the sun The closest that the Earth and Mars would ever be is a distance of 33.9million miles – that's 9,800 times the distance between London and New York That's really rare though: the more useful distance is the average, which is 140million miles Scientists on Earth have already launched a whole bunch of spacecraft to (or near) Mars, so we have a rough idea of how long it takes with current technology Historically, the trip has taken anywhere from 128 to 333 days – admittedly a huge length of time for humans to be on board a cramped spacecraft.
Forbes
24-03-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Meet ‘Conan The Bacterium'—A Microbe That Defies Radiation, Acid And Even Martian Extremes
Found in an irradiated can of meat, Deinococcus radiodurans, or 'Conan the Bacterium,' can withstand ... More everything from intense radiation to acid. And soon, it could make its way to Mars. When reactor number four exploded at Chernobyl in 1986, the released radiation was lethal enough to create a 1,000-square-mile exclusion zone—inhospitable to human life for centuries to come. Decades later, amid this desolation, scientists made an astonishing discovery: fungi thriving by literally feeding off the radioactive decay. Similarly, after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, life found surprising ways to persist in radioactive soil. But even among these resilient survivors, one organism sets an extraordinary benchmark for sheer survival prowess—Deinococcus radiodurans, or as researchers affectionately call it, 'Conan the Bacterium.' This powerhouse of a microbe doesn't merely survive; it thrives under conditions that would obliterate nearly all known life forms. From gamma rays to the vacuum of space, Conan's resilience outshines nature's toughest competitors. Deinococcus radiodurans isn't just tough—it redefines biological durability. This microbe effortlessly endures radiation doses several thousand times stronger than levels lethal to humans. For perspective, while a mere 5 grays (Gy) of radiation is typically fatal for a human being and 4,000 Gy can kill tardigrades, Conan shrugs off exposure to doses surpassing 15,000 Gy with a 37% survival rate. But Conan's talents don't end there. This bacterium laughs in the face of harsh chemicals, extreme cold, acids and desiccation. Astonishingly, research conducted on the International Space Station in 2020 revealed that it could survive for three years exposed to the brutal vacuum and radiation of outer space. This unparalleled resilience has placed Conan the Bacterium at the pinnacle of extremophile organisms—those lifeforms uniquely adapted to endure Earth's harshest conditions and possibly even extraterrestrial environments. The discovery of Conan wasn't planned—it emerged from the wreckage of an experiment gone awry. In 1956, microbiologist Arthur Anderson at the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station attempted to sterilize canned meat using gamma radiation doses believed sufficient to kill all known microbes. Yet, some cans inexplicably spoiled. Further investigation revealed the tenacious Deinococcus radiodurans had not only survived but multiplied, defying all assumptions about life's fragility. Fast forward to recent years, and Conan is shaking up our assumptions again—this time, about life beyond Earth. A groundbreaking study in 2022—published in Astrobiology—subjected Conan to Martian-like conditions: frigid temperatures averaging -63 degrees Celsius, intense desiccation and relentless bombardment by cosmic radiation. Incredibly, the bacterium could potentially survive for 280 million years buried 10 meters beneath Mars' surface, protected from ultraviolet rays. This stunning longevity implies that if life ever existed on Mars, bacteria akin to Conan could still linger deep beneath its icy crust. How does Conan achieve these nearly supernatural feats of survival? The secret lies in a remarkable genetic and biochemical toolkit honed through eons of evolutionary pressure. At its core, Deinococcus radiodurans maintains multiple redundant copies of its genome—up to 10 per cell. When radiation shatters its DNA, these intact genome copies act as flawless templates, allowing rapid and precise repair of damaged sequences. Unlike other organisms, Conan quickly organizes broken DNA fragments into compact toroidal structures, facilitating swift and accurate reassembly through homologous recombination—a process ensuring minimal mutation rates despite catastrophic damage. Moreover, Conan boasts an exceptionally potent antioxidant defense powered by manganese ions. These manganese complexes scavenge free radicals produced by ionizing radiation, preventing cellular damage before it can even begin. A pivotal December 2024 study, published in PNAS, uncovered precisely how these manganese antioxidants combine with phosphate ions and specific peptides to form a uniquely effective defense mechanism—exhibiting superior antioxidant properties in certain conditions compared to previously known systems. Inspired by Conan's defense mechanisms, researchers are developing synthetic antioxidants that could protect astronauts from intense cosmic radiation on long-duration missions, or safeguard first responders in radiation accidents here on Earth. In Deinococcus radiodurans, nature has engineered a microbial marvel, equipped with survival capabilities that stretch the imagination. From the radioactive corridors of nuclear disasters to the harsh plains of Mars, Conan stands as a testament to life's extraordinary resilience—challenging our notions of survivability and inspiring innovations that could redefine our own limits. Species like Deinococcus radiodurans inspire us to think about how nature continuously adapts to the world around us and the boundaries of life. Curious about how you fit into the grand picture? Take this 2-minute test to see where you stand on the Connectedness to Nature Scale.
