Desert Lichen Offers New Evidence for the Possibility of Life on Other Planets

A barrage of radiation couldn't kill this hardy life-form

A type of lichen was able to survive extreme UV radiation in the lab, suggesting that ozone protection might not be required for life on exoplanets.

Alien life could survive deadly stellar radiation, Earth's desert lichen reveal

A walk in the desert and a curious discovery could have revealed that the secrets of alien life grow in the harshest conditions on Earth in the form of lichen.

What Mars can teach us about life

In this week’s episode of Space Minds David Ariosto sits down Nathalie Cabrol, Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute who explains why the Red Planet may hold answers about extraterrestrial life as well as our own origins. The post What Mars can teach us about life appeared first on SpaceNews.

Desert Lichen Resists Intense Solar Radiation, Providing Evidence for Extraterrestrial Life

Learn why a lichen found in the Mojave Desert has become key evidence in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Desert lichen offers new evidence for the possibility of life on other planets

The question of whether Earth is alone in harboring life has captivated humanity for millennia. In recent years, scientists have turned to Earth-like planets in other solar systems that may show the most promise, but many revolve around stars that emit much stronger solar radiation than our own. Now, a new study offers evidence that life as we know it may be able to thrive on those Earth-like exoplanets.

Mojave lichen defies death rays—could life thrive on distant exoplanets?

Lichen from the Mojave Desert has stunned scientists by surviving months of lethal UVC radiation, suggesting life could exist on distant planets orbiting volatile stars. The secret? A microscopic “sunscreen” layer that protects their vital cells—even though Earth’s atmosphere already filters out such rays.