Scientists Pinpoint a Possible “Sweet Spot” for Life’s Origins 4.33 Billion Years Ago

Scientists Pinpoint a Possible “Sweet Spot” for Life’s Origins 4.33 Billion Years Ago

Earth’s violent early bombardment may have helped create the very environments needed for prebiotic chemistry. Credit: Shutterstock By simulating a billion years of Earth’s history, researchers have identified a possible window for life’s earliest chemistry around 4.33 billion years ago. During its first few hundred million years, Earth was a hostile target. Asteroids, comets, and … Read more

This Strange Planet Is Going Backwards – and Scientists Don’t Know Why

This Strange Planet Is Going Backwards – and Scientists Don’t Know Why

Astronomers have identified a Neptune-sized planet orbiting its small, cool star in the opposite direction to the star’s rotation — a configuration never before confirmed around an M dwarf. Credit: SciTechDaily.com Researchers at Queen Mary University of London helped identify a planet’s backward orbit, which could offer clues to how planetary systems form and evolve. … Read more