How to Explore Earth-like Planets Light Years Away

Source - NASA Science News for March 29, 2012

With NASA's Kepler spacecraft discovering alien worlds at a record pace, it seems to be just a matter of time before an Earth-sized planet is found in the "Goldilocks zone"--that is, in an orbit sized just right for liquid water and life. In today's story from Science@NASA, researchers discuss how they'll explore a cousin of Earth so many light years away.

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/29mar_goldilocks/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diz4Q3ALi5k

Alien Matter in the Solar System: A Galactic Mismatch

Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 10, 2012

"Alien matter" detected by a NASA spacecraft orbiting Earth shows that the chemical make-up of our solar system differs from that of the surrounding galaxy. Researchers discuss the possible meaning of this mismatch in today's story from Science@NASA.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/10feb_alienmatter/

A video version of this story is included below and is also available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krDQFFkB84I

Alien Planet Safari

Source - NASA Science News for January 14, 2010

NASA's next great observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, is designed to study stars and galaxies. Astronomers are beginning to realize, however, that Webb will make a great planet hunter too.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2010/14jan_planetsafari.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

Are We Alone for 11/24/08 - First Contact!

Are We Alone - First Contact! (Encore Presentation)
From human settlers to alien visitors - when one society meets another, the results can be messy.

The Jamestown settlement may have kicked off the colonization of the New World. But, you'll hear how it also left an indelible mark on its ecosystem and the human landscape. Plus, why the Galapagos Islands haven't been the same since their most celebrated visitor set foot on their rocky shores more than a century ago.

Also: how a spider led the re-population of Krakatau after a devastating volcanic eruption... the "raining" threat of alien microbes... and one man's emergency plan for when Mars attacks.
Guests:

• Charles C. Mann - author and journalist. His article "America Found and Lost" is in the May issue of National Geographic Magazine
• Travis Taylor - author of An Introduction to Planetary Defense: A Study of Modern Warfare Applied to Extraterrestrial Invasion
• Robert Whittaker - Professor of Biogeography at the University of Oxford
• John Rummel - Senior Scientist for Astrobiology at NASA
• Timothy Silcott - Director for Information and Development for the Charles Darwin Foundation based in Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands

You can listen to this and other episodes at: http://radio.seti.org/ and be sure to check the Are We Alone Profile and Blog on MySpace.