Daniel Apai's Blog on Exoplanet Exploration and Astrobiology
It was great to join LPL graduate student Chaucer Langbert and Frank Timmes to chat about our recent study looking into climate evolution and climate chaos for planets that have climate feedbacks different from Earth. Through 20,000 simulations, we explored the potential climate diversity of other worlds, with the goal of informing next-generation exoplanet surveys…
Over the winter break, my family visited New Mexico’s White Sands National Park. The Park offers fantastic scenery and we hiked deep into the dune field. Trekking through the pristine white dunes was a beautiful and unique experience! Although it looks like pristine snow, the glistening dunes are made of gypsum. Spectacular scenery and it…
The Explorers Club is a famed group of explorers who have led scientific expeditions all over our planet – and beyond – for over a century. I recall reading – as a teenager – inspiring stories in the National Geographic about expeditions conducted by The Explorers Club. Given the long-standing excellence of TEC in scientific expeditions and advancing human…
Excited to announce our new paper on the information contained in the age-dependence of biosignatures in samples of broadly earth-like planets. Our paper – that appeared on arXiv a few hours ago and is in press at the Astrophysical Journal – explores two important questions: 1) If we detect possible biosignatures in an exoplanet survey,…
Just got back from majestic Sedona, Arizona, where my family and I spent Thanksgiving. Sedona is a charming and crazy amalgam of spectacular geology, amazing autumn foliage, exciting restaurants, and an eclectic mix of new age shops and centers. Believers of aura photos, energy vortices, and natural healing flock from all over the country to…
I always found whales fascinating and after a recent workshop in Seattle, WA, I jumped on a whale-watching boat. It was great fun – we have seen a pair of humpback whales and a fin whale, all set in an amazing landscape.