Big Picture Science Radio show - Asteroids!

Everyone knows that a big rock did in the dinosaurs, but smaller asteroids hit Earth much more often. An astronomer describes the odds that your demise will be due to a rock smaller than a mall parking lot. Also, an asteroid for the mantelpiece and NASA’s plans to bring back a sample from a rock cruising in space.

A SETI Signal?

A star system 94 light-years away is in the spotlight as a possible candidate for intelligent inhabitants, thanks to the discovery of a radio signal by a group of Russian astronomers.

The World in Our Backyard

Astronomers using large optical telescopes in Chile have discovered an Earth-size world around our nearest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri.

Activity Report of the SETI Institute July 2016

It’s near the end of summertime, and the livin’ is easy. However, SETI Institute scientists are still keeping busy. They continue to unravel more puzzles about our local celestial neighbors, as well as other worlds many light-years away. Every day, researchers at the SETI Institute are expanding both our knowledge and understanding in the quest to find life beyond Earth.

AWARDS FOR EXOPLANET RESEARCH

Three SETI Institute scientists have received NASA’s most prestigious honors for their work in the burgeoning field of exoplanet research.

Passed Pluto, what's next for New Horizons?

NASA has selected the potential next destination for the New Horizons mission to visit after its flyby of the Pluto system.

Seeking Signs of Life in an Ancient Martian Hot Spring

A fundamental motivation for our exploration of Mars is the search for the presence of extinct or extant life. But where should we look?

Can we avoid the same fate as the dinosaurs?

Danger, Will Robinson

The night sky, at least when you can see it, appears placid, serene and as inviting as a cold brew on a muggy afternoon. Don’t be fooled. The real universe is a nasty mélange of stuff that’s mostly scorching hot or bitterly cold. The blackness of space is shot through with lethal particles and radiation. Without doubt, the “final frontier,” often depicted as a beguiling playground for our Spandex-attired descendants, is deceptively treacherous.

SETI Institute logo animation

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