Examining a SLIce of the Arctic
If aliens sent a probe to Earth in search of life, their best target would be the tropics, where life is dense. But on other nearby worlds, tropics are hard to come by. Most likely, if we find life elsewhere in our solar system, we'll find it in ice.

Life's Growth Spurts
New research has found important links between the evolution of life and the geological evolution of Earth. The study shows that increases in the maximum size of organisms on our planet may be linked to increases in atmospheric oxygen.

Linking Life's Elements
Researchers have unlocked new clues about how ancient organic molecules may have first combined to form biologically useful strands of RNA. This single-stranded precursor to DNA is essential for living cells, and some scientists believe the first life on Earth may have been RNA-based rather than DNA-based.

Astrobiology Top 10: Liquid Water in the Martian North? Maybe.
Astrobiology Magazine is looking back over 2008, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. The top story is NASA’s Phoenix mission. The lander arrived on Mars on May 25, and it conducted several tests of the martian soil and atmosphere. One surprising discovery was the presence of the chemical compound perchlorate in the soil. On Earth, perchlorate is commonly associated with liquid water. On Mars, however, the implication is not so clear. (This story originally was published on August 22, 2008).

Astrobiology Top 10: Seeing a Distant Planet
Astrobiology Magazine is looking back over 2008, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. At number 2 is the first visible-light photograph of an extrasolar planet. The planet is about the size of Jupiter, and scientists believe that the system in which it resides could harbor more worlds (This story originally was published on November 15, 2008).

Astrobiology Top 10: Organic Brew on Enceladus
Astrobiology Magazine is looking back over 2008, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. At number 3 is the discovery of water and organic chemicals on Saturn’s moon, Enceladus. If this tiny moon has liquid water and organic chemistry, could it also have life? (This story originally was published on March 29, 2008).

Astrobiology Top 10: The Spark of Life
Astrobiology Magazine is looking back over 2008, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. At number 4 is a re-examination of samples from a classic 'origin-of-life' experiment. The finding is that volcanoes may have played an important role in life's beginnings on Earth. (This story originally was published on October 19, 2008).

Astrobiology Top 10: Titan's Ethane Lake
Astrobiology Magazine is looking back over 2008, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. At number 5 is the confirmation that Saturn’s moon Titan has lakes. This makes Titan the only world in our solar system other than Earth to have liquid on its surface – although on Titan the lakes are made of hydrocarbons rather than water. (This story originally was published on August 03, 2008).

Astrobiology Top 10: Looking for Life on Mars -- in a Canadian Lake
Astrobiology Magazine is looking back over 2008, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. At number 6 is an expedition to Pavilion Lake in British Columbia. Researchers brought a pair of miniature submarines to the lake to find out if bacteria were involved in building some of the most unusual carbonate formations on Earth. (This story originally was published on September 08, 2008).

Astrobiology Top 10: Earth's Mineral Evolution
Astrobiology Magazine is looking back over 2008, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. At number 7 is research that shows minerals on Earth have co-evolved with life. Up to two-thirds of known minerals can be linked to biological activity, highlighting the important connection between the biosphere and geology. (This story originally was published on November 14, 2008).