Signals from an Infant Earth

The oldest rocks so far identified on Earth are one-half billion years younger than the planet itself, so geologists have relied on certain crystals as micro-messengers from ancient times. Called zircons (for their major constituent, zirconium) these crystals “are the kind of mineral that a geologist loves,” says Stephen Mojzsis, an associate professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder. “They capture chemical information about the melt from which they crystallize, and they preserve that information very,...

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July 15, 2008 / Written by: David Tenenbaum

Astrobiologist Eigenbrode profiled in Goddard Tech Trends

Astrobiologist Jennifer Eigenbrode is profiled in the latest issue of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Goddard Tech Trends (Vol. 4, #4, summer 2008), published by the Office of the Chief Technologist.

Eigenbrode is a biogeochemist and an expert at detecting organic compounds in rocks. She is a member of the Goddard team that is building the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite...

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July 9, 2008 / Written by: Linda Billings

Deep-sea Discoveries on Expedition Using ASTEP AUVs

The June 26 issue of Nature features a report on the results of underwater research conducted with a pair of NASA Astrobiology-sponsored robotic explorers.

Two autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), called Jaguar and Puma, funded by the Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program, were deployed on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s (WHOI’s) Arctic Gakkel Vents Expedition (AGAVE). The AGAVE team traveled to...

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July 8, 2008 / Written by: Linda Billings

Phoenix Scrapes 'Almost Perfect' Icy Soil For Analysis

NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander enlarged the “Snow White” trench and scraped up little piles of icy soil on Saturday, June 28, the 33rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Scientists say that the scrapings are ideal for the lander’s analytical instruments.

The robotic arm on Phoenix used the blade on its scoop to make 50 scrapes in the icy layer buried under subsurface soil. The robotic arm then heaped the scrapings into a...

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July 1, 2008 / Posted by: Marco Boldt

Calling All Exoplanet Hunters….

Extrasolar planet (exoplanet) discoveries are on the rise, to the point where it is a challenge to keep up with new findings. Those who are interested in keeping up with exoplanet discoveries can turn to free public databases maintained by NASA and other organizations.

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s PlanetQuest Web site keeps a tally of exoplanet discoveries (as of June 27, 2008: 303 exoplanets, 259 stars with planets, 0 Earthlike planets)....

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June 27, 2008 / Written by: Linda Billings

Phoenix Returns Treasure Trove for Science

NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander performed its first wet chemistry experiment on Martian soil flawlessly yesterday, returning a wealth of data that for Phoenix scientists was like winning the lottery.

“We are awash in chemistry data,” said Michael Hecht of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, lead scientist for the Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, or MECA, instrument on Phoenix. “We’re trying to understand what is the chemistry of wet soil on Mars, what’s dissolved in it, how acidic or alkaline...

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NAI Scientist Receives Guggenheim Fellowship

James Farquhar from NAI’s Carnegie Institution of Washington Team is a recipient of the prestigious 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships are extremely competitive and are given to advanced professionals in many fields. Please join NAI in congratulating James!!!

With the support of his Guggenheim Fellowship, James will be taking sabbatical leave to work with Don Canfield (University of Southern Denmark). Farquhar and Canfield will be extending their research on understanding the ways that...

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June 25, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice