Analog – My WordPress Site

Summary of representative locations in the Arabian Peninsula that could be employed as analog sites for astrobiological studies. Colors denote environment types (green: salt flats, dark blue: deep-sea brine pools, light blue: hydrothermal vent systems, white: snow-covered mountains and deserts, gray: volcanic fields, red: hot springs, and yellow: deserts) -- Extremophiles

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains & Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return

Extreme Arabian Environments And Their Microbiomes: New Frontiers For Astrobiology And Biosignature Discovery

by Keith CowingApril 13, 2026April 13, 2026

Astrobiology assesses the habitability of planetary bodies and the potential for extraterrestrial life.

The left plots show the results of our injection and recovery test into our JWST observation of TOI 700 d, and the right for e.

Analog Studies, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Stellar Cartography

The JWST Search For Earth-Luna Analogs: Upper Limits On Exomoons And Refined Ephemerides For TOI 700 d And e

by Keith CowingApril 8, 2026April 8, 2026

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors

Revealing the Internal Structure of Mars-Analog Glaciers From Drone-Based Radar Sounding

by Keith CowingApril 6, 2026April 6, 2026

Schematic procedure for compound confirmation, illustrated with examples of both confirmed (right half) and excluded (left half) compounds. (a) Total ion chromatograms (TIC) of the Titan aerosol analog (blue line) and standard samples (black line). (b-c) The mass components at corresponding retention times for hydroxyproline and hypoxanthine. (d-e) Comparison of the relative intensities of four ion pairs between the sample and the standards. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Life Support Systems, Meteorites & Asteroids

Quantifying Building Blocks of Life in Planetary Analog Materials: Implications for Prebiotic Chemistry and Biosignature Identification

by Keith CowingApril 1, 2026April 1, 2026

Legged robot performing analogue tests in Marslabor at the University of Basel. Credit: Dr Tomaso Bontognali.

Analog Studies, Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains & Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Legged Robot Could Accelerate Resource Prospecting On The Moon And The Search For Life On Mars

by Keith CowingApril 1, 2026April 1, 2026

Analog Studies, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy

Identifying Surface Degeneracies in Single-Visit Reflected Light Observations of Modern Earth using the Habitable Worlds Observatory

by Keith CowingMarch 31, 2026March 31, 2026

Montage of three images taken by Mars Perseverance on Sol 1697 Nov. 28, 2025 by the WATSON Camera - NASA

Analog Studies, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains & Lava Tubes, Conferences and Meetings, Desert Worlds, Education and Outreach, Mars, People Of Astrobiology

Summer School: “Biosignatures and the Search For Life on Mars”

by Keith CowingMarch 26, 2026March 26, 2026

Dale Andersen in an ice hole preparing to dive in Lake Untersee, Antarctica in February 2026 -- Alessandro Cuzzeri

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Life Support Systems, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, People Of Astrobiology, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report 16 March 2026: Spring Field Season Completed; Preparing The Fall Field Season

by Keith CowingMarch 16, 2026March 16, 2026

Lake Untersee, Antarctica and surrounding features - NASA/Google Earth

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Life Support Systems, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Antarctica’s Untersee – A Most Unusual Lake

by Keith CowingMarch 12, 2026March 12, 2026

Transmission electron microscope image at low and high magnifications of a cell grown under 20 MP -- Frontiers

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Microbes From Ambient-pressure Analogues Offer Insights Into Possible Life In Europa’s High-pressure Subsurface Ocean

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2026March 3, 2026