Chris Impey, The Conversation, Author at Astronomy.com

Biosphere 2’s latest mission: Learning how life first emerged on Earth – and how to make barren worlds habitable

Alien Life, Exoplanets

How much evidence do scientists need to claim they’ve found alien life?

Illustration of DNA

How we might look for life in the universe — even if we can’t recognize it

Peggy Whitson on a spacewalk

Human Spaceflight, Space Exploration

Upcoming Polaris Dawn spacewalk will push the envelope

This artist’s impression video shows how two tiny but very dense neutron stars merge and explode as a kilonova. Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO).

Yes, an exploding star close to Earth would make for a very bad day

Music from planetary orbits, created by astronomers at the European Southern Observatory.

Exoplanets, Science, Solar System

The beautifully harmonic patterns in space, explained by an astronomer

Matter in deep space is spread out, which makes it impossible for any sound waves to travel. Credit: NASA

Is there any sound in space? An astronomer explains

Bennu regolith scattered around the outside of OSIRIS-REx's sample collector

The most expensive materials used in science