With help from next-generation particle accelerators, the approach may nail down the rate of oxygen production in the universe
What level of oxygen is indicative of life on an exoplanet?
We take a look at the atmospheres of some distant worlds to find out
Astronomers detect the most distant oxygen ever discovered
This oxygen detection provides strong evidence that star formation occurred just 250 million years after the Big Bang
What would happen if an astronaut took off their helmet in space?
Hint: it’s not good news
Record-breaking, low-oxygen galaxy provides snapshot into early universe
Dwarf galaxy J0811+4730 may serve well as a proxy for better understanding the developing chemistry of the young cosmos
Mercury’s poles likely to hold more ice than previously thought
Research over the past three decades has suggested that water is frozen on the first rock from the Sun
Universe found to be turning a shade of green
Astronomers have found that the earliest galaxies have been turning an unusual colour
Source of mysterious ‘fast radio burst’ revealed for the first time
“Now we can do real astrophysical analysis on the burst source and the galaxy that harbours it,” says James Cordes of Cornell University
Venus-like exoplanet could have oxygen atmosphere
New research suggests that GJ 1132b’s atmosphere has a thin wispy atmosphere baked to a temperature of around 450 degrees Fahrenheit
Astronomers detect oxygen in “most distant galaxy” yet
Quantifying the gas is key to understanding how matter cycles in and out of galaxies
Most distant signs of oxygen in the universe discovered
The new discovery provides a glimpse into what the universe was like in ancient times
Galaxies found to eject hefty elements into space
Galaxies “waste” large amounts of material generated by star formation, according to new research
Could an exploding star kill all life on Earth?
We find out if a supernova could kick-start a mass extinction
How long can we live in space for?
We find out how long astronauts can feasibly spend on board the Space Station
Hottest and most massive double star found by ground-based telescope
Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, a binary star with two extreme components has been discovered
“The suitability for human life on a super-Earth is always a possibility,” says exoplanet hunter
We spoke to Professor Abel Méndez at the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, to learn more about the potential for life on super-Earths
What’s the Vela supernova remnant hiding?
We zoomed into this fascinating structure and took a look
Would we have been able to live on early Mars?
We take a look at whether early Mars was suitable for life as we know it
Why do scientists think there is a chance of life existing on Europa?
What lurks beneath this mysterious moon of Jupiter?