Extraterrestrial Life

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson helped DC Comics choose the planet, which is 27.1 light-years from Earth

Curiosity's analysis of soil from the Gale Crater is consistent with a time of transition from a wet to a dry environment

The small planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B, just four light-years away, is too hot for life but may have habitable neighbors

New work explains how a microbe can thrive in the high-arsenic conditions of California's Mono Lake

NASA's Curiosity rover has located geologic signs of ancient water flows on Mars, mission scientists announced in a September 27 news conference.

NASA's Curiosity has completed its longest trek yet. The Mars rover journeyed more than 30 meters on its 29th Martian day, which ended September 5 at 2:37 A.M.

Like an adventurer of old, NASA's Curiosity rover is using its spyglass to scope out some as-yet unexplored environs.

Shortly after NASA's Curiosity rover touched down on Mars, the robot poked its head up and started taking a look around.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which yesterday delivered a stunning photo of the Curiosity rover descending on its parachute toward a safe landing, has followed up with another look at the mobile laboratory.

Scientific American contributor David Appell talks with Mars Science Lab Project leader John Grotzinger, professor of geology at Caltech, about the plans for the rover on the Martian surface

Less than an hour after NASA received confirmation that the Curiosity rover was safely on the Martian surface, some principal members of the mission briefed the press. This is an edited presentation of that briefing, which started at about 11:20 P.M, Pacific time on August 5th.

After successfully completing its complex series of landing maneuvers, the Curiosity rover is on the Martian surface and ready to begin exploration. John Matson reports