Lewis Dartnell
Astrobiologist
Dr. Lewis Dartnell is an astrobiologist and science author based at the University of Westminster.
Recent articles by Lewis Dartnell
Asteroid Belt: what is it and how did it form?
Where is the asteroid belt, and do astronomer really know how it formed? New studies could change what we know about this rocky region of the Solar System.
We could find aliens by detecting solar panels on their planet, but there's a catch...
How far away would aliens have to be to detect life on Earth?
Alien life on the Solar System's icy moons?
Want to explore Earth-like planets? Head to the outer galaxy. But the inner galaxy is where the really interesting worlds are
New study tells you the most interesting parts of the Galaxy to visit as a Federation starship captain.
Rings around strange worlds in the outer Solar System
Cosmic rays from space have multiple uses, from astronomy to investigating ancient pyramids...
When Betelgeuse goes supernova, will it be dangerous to observe through a telescope?
How bright will Betelgeuse be when it goes supernova, and would it be safe to observe through a telescope?
This steamy sauna planet is just 100 lightyears away, and astronomers still can't work out how it formed
What if a hot Jupiter existed in our Solar System?
Imagine if the planet Jupiter orbited much closer to the Sun. What effect would a so-called hot Jupiter have on our Solar System?
Nanorods could terraform Mars
When meteor showers attack! Forecasters are trying to pin down which comet debris poses a threat to us
If every clock on Earth disappeared, how would we know what time and date it is?
How would you tell the time if every clock on Earth
were suddenly to disappear? Astronomy can help.
Chicxulub, the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs
Scientists are slowly revealing the secrets of the Chicxulub impact crater and the asteroid that caused it.
Mars tadpole craters
Tadpole craters date from the time when Mars was drying out to become the arid world we know it as today.
Double craters and what they tell us about binary asteroids
Impact craters tell us a lot about asteroids that are otherwise impossible to observe.
The fingerprints of extraterrestrial life could be found in the atmospheres of distant worlds beyond our Sun
The equilibrium, or lack of it, in an exoplanet's air could point to life, writes Lewis Dartnell.
Planets orbiting two white dwarf stars could be common in the Universe
Could an exoplanet orbit a pair of binary white dwarf stars?
How astronomers weighed the Kuiper Belt
Using data from the Cassini mission, astronomers have come up with an ingenious method of calculating the mass of trans-Neptunian objects.
A galactic tide could be pushing comets into collisions with white dwarfs
Spacecraft powered by light sails and lasers offer a quicker way to explore the Solar System. But there's a catch.
Eclipses clear the clouds! Research suggests solar eclipses have an effect on weather and cloud cover
Could solar eclipses change weather and clouds on Earth?
The Moon is orbiting further away from us, changing Earth's tides over billions of years
Marks left by tides billions of years ago suggest the Moon lay much closer.