A new special issue of Elements Magazine is devoted entirely to topics about geosciences beyond the solar system – and the guest editors are exogeologists! Link: http://elementsmagazine.org/

Every planet has its own unique story and characteristics. This strange planet is so close to its parent star, it orbits it every 7.7 hours; and is piquing scientists’ interest due to its unusual composition. Link:  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/02/science/iron-exoplanet-super-mercury.html

After a decade of work, scientists managed to create a database of up to 59 known potentially habitable worlds that come in all sizes and compositions. Among them, 21 are more likely to be rocky planets that are capable of maintaining liquid water on their surface. Link: https://phl.upr.edu/projects/habitable-exoplanets-catalog

Life as we know it cannot survive on a lava planet like Venus. However, the recent detection of phosphine – a molecule associated with Earth life – in the Venusian atmosphere is leading scientists to question whether it is  produced biotically or abiotically. Link: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/planetary_news/2021/11/23/phosphine-on-venus-volcanism-as-an-abiotic-source/?utm_source=Lunar+and+Planetary+Institute+Newsletters&utm_campaign=660b5e0baf-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_11_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_351c2a9ed0-660b5e0baf-164877873