Alien life could thrive on big ‘Hycean’ exoplanets

The search for alien life should broaden its horizons a bit, a new study suggests. Alien hunters have to date focused largely on Earthlike planets — a reasonable place to start, given that our rocky, water-covered world is the only one we know of that hosts life. But the universe teems with a huge diversity of planets, some of which may be habitable despite being decidedly un-Earthlike. In the new study, researchers identify one such class of alien worlds — “Hycean” planets, which are up to 2.5 times larger than…

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The five most impressive geological structures in the solar system

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences, The Open University When we talk about amazing geological features, we often limit ourselves to those on Earth. But as a geologist, I think that’s crazy — there are so many structures on other worlds that can excite and inspire, and that can put processes on our own planet into perspective. Here, in no particular order, are the five geological structures in the solar system (excluding Earth)…

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Boom!’s ‘Dune: A Whisper of Caladan Seas’ traps Atreides troops in an Arrakis cave in this 1st look

As we all breathlessly watched the newest “Dune” trailer released by Warner Bros. last month, fans are gearing up for a spice-fueled odyssey to a distant galaxy when director Denis Villeneuve’s far-future epic rolls out in theaters this fall. To complement this latest cinematic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi masterpiece, Boom! Studios is releasing a third offering in their engaging series of “Dune” comic books titled “Dune: A Whisper of Caladan Seas” in December. In partnership with Herbert Properties LLC, the LA-based indie publisher has just revealed a first…

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