Astrobiology Magazine is a NASA-sponsored online popular science magazine, with stories that profile current exciting news across the wide, interdisciplinary field of astrobiology — the study of life in the universe.

The magazine publishes new stories daily, and, in addition to a large article archive, offers a catalogue of podcasts, notes from the field, blogs, and other types of multimedia.

This  multi-faceted journal investigates many areas of interest, including planetary sciences, Earth exploration, astrophysics, popular culture, and even science fiction. It is international in scope and reports on missions of other space agencies, as well as research conducted by various institutions, universities, and non-profit groups.

Topics covered deal with issues that lie at the heart of many of the “Big Questions” asked by the scientific community, such as:

• What are the characteristics of the solar system that lead to the origins of life?

• How did life begin and evolve on Earth, and has it evolved elsewhere in the solar system?

• How did the solar system evolve to its current diverse state?

• What is the impact of climate change on evolving biological systems?

• What can we learn from Earth-analogue studies of extreme environments, organisms, and biosignatures?

• Is there life elsewhere in the universe?

Image credit: Andrew Fruchter (STScI) et al., WFPC2, HST, NASAThe Eskimo Nebula in the constellation Gemini and visible from Hubble is a planetary nebula. The orange filaments represent what once was the outer layers of a Sun-like star 10,000 years ago.

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Tags: Aerospace, Aerospace Engineering, Astrobiology, Fusion and Astrophysics, International Space Station