So much exciting astronomical news! Click through for all the juicy details.
Mars Could be Terraformed Using Resources that are Already There
A team of engineers and geophysicists led by the University of Chicago proposed a new method for terraforming Mars with nanoparticles. This method would take advantage of resources already present on the Martian surface and, according to their feasibility study, would be enough to start the terraforming process.
Neutron Star Mergers Could Be Producing Quark Matter
Recently, two researchers looked at what would happen if a ship with warp drive tried to get into a black hole. The result is an interesting thought experiment. It might not lead to starship-sized warp drives but might allow scientists to create smaller versions someday.
How Vegetation Could Impact the Climate of Exoplanets
New research shows that vegetation can enlarge the habitable zone on any exoplanets that host plant life.
Dark Oxygen Could Change Our Understanding of Habitability
Dark oxygen is produced by manganese nodules on the ocean floor (pictured above). If the same thing happens on the Solar System’s ocean moons, it changes our notion of what worlds could be habitable.