Most Distant Galaxy Pile-Up Found: Astronomers have announced the discovery of the most distant galactic collisions ever seen: A cluster of early galaxies caught in the act of merging into one giant galaxy when the universe was just a toddler. [Discovery]
Beneath Arctic ice pack, teeming life holds extraterrestrial clues: Deming believes the bacteria and viruses in these channels in polar sea ice could provide clues about possible life on Jupiter’s ice-covered moon Europa. “When we think astrobiologically, we think of the initial microbes, similar to ones that gained a foothold on Earth 3.8 billion years ago,” she says. “Europa is a very promising situation because all the evidence points to an ocean under the ice cover and heat under the ocean.” Astrobiology is a decades-old scientific discipline bringing together astronomy, biology, and geology. It examines whether microorganisms living in extreme heat and cold on Earth could tell us what kind of life forms might exist on other celestial bodies. [CSM]
Leave a Comment