Lewis Dartnell
Astrobiologist
Dr. Lewis Dartnell is an astrobiologist and science author based at the University of Westminster.
Recent articles by Lewis Dartnell
One of the largest asteroid craters on Earth is much bigger than we thought – and may have had devastating consequences
The impact that produced Zhamanshin could have released energy equivalent to an explosion of over 240,000 million tonnes of TNT
Mars will tear its own moon apart. Now scientists think it could be sooner – and more destructive – than expected
New modelling suggests the Martian moon Phobos’s demise could be earlier – and much more dramatic – than expected
Aliens may be rare because coal is rare. Scientists say fossil fuels may be vital for technological civilisations to emerge
Is technology on alien worlds reliant on fossil fuels?
This is what our nearest galaxy would look like if we went there, and how our Solar System would appear
What would Earth and the Sun look like when viewed from the Andromeda Galaxy? And what would the galaxy look like if we could travel there?
What would happen to our Solar System if Earth were replaced by a super Earth?
Computer simulations reveal what would happen to our Solar System if Earth were much bigger and orbited further from the Sun.
NASA Artemis Moon base would face a silent threat on the lunar surface. Has science found a solution?
Saving lunar settlers from rock strikes
is all down to shielding and location
Humans may be too heavy to land on Mars. Scientists pinpoint the dangers of future crewed missions
Landing humans on Mars comes with all sorts of difficulties. But could a key issue be the weight of a lander and its cargo?
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.
We may be able to turn Mars green. Here's how science says we'll make the Red Planet habitable
There's a side of the Moon we never see from Earth. Scientists think they've worked out why it's so strange
There could be hidden liquid oceans on the moons of Uranus
Uranus's magnetic field could help future missions peer beneath the icy surface of its moons.
A nearby exploding star could wipe out life on Earth. But there's one thing that might save us
How devastating would a supernova explosion be if it were too close to Earth, and could our planet's magnetic field stifle the blast?
Scientists are discovering underground caves on Mars using a surprising method
Bare, hostile alien worlds may be able to host life after all, after astronomers made one key change
Our Moon is drifting into space. Here's one way that'll change our planet over billions of years
Marks left by tides billions of years ago suggest the Moon lay much closer.
An astronaut on Mars would be able to see Earth pass in front of the Sun. This is what it would look like
It's possible to see transits of Venus and Mercury from our planet, but could a Martian astronomer see a transit of Earth?
Does oxygen on an alien world really mean it's got life? Here's what the science says
An oxygen-rich atmosphere may not be a unique signature of life on planets beyond the Solar System.
Space rocks can tell us how Earth formed. Now we’ve got a unique way of finding them
Artificially intelligent drones could be used in future to make the search for fallen space rocks an easier task.
This charcoal world has a sapphire sky. When scientists looked, they found something amazing
HAT-P-7b is an ultra-hot exoplanet that's heated to such an extent, its atmosphere is one of the richest in elements yet seen.
Rampaging Jupiter and Saturn had a strange effect on Mars in our early Solar System, scientists say
The movement of planets in the early Solar System could have starved infant Mars.
Astronauts on Mars face being blasted by radiation. Scientists have come up with a clever solution
Could Martian ‘hobbit holes’ protect future colonists from deadly radiation?
There's a strange cloud on Mars that's doing weird things. And scientists very nearly missed it
A 1,800km-long cloud over a Martian mountain holds clues about the Red Planet's atmosphere, and provides a key lesson for planetary science.
This spacecraft is so far away, it sees stars differently. Here's how it could help us navigate the cosmos
Saturn's rings have rainbows, and astronomers may finally have worked out what's causing them
Water-ice spouting from moon Enceladus is creating peculiar striped bands of light in Saturn’s E ring
