The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has today released its long-awaited first images of the night sky, marking the beginning of the most ambitious astronomical survey in history – the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

Researchers at the universities of Amsterdam and Utrecht have observed the formation of nanocavities in montmorillonite clay under exposure to gamma-aminobutyric acid, a molecule commonly found on meteorites. This hitherto unrecognised phenomenon could be relevant to the origin of life on Earth, by introducing 3D confined nano-environments in clay that might have facilitated life’s first chemistry. The findings have been reported in a paper in Communications Earth & Environment, a journal from the Nature family.

Before they take the long journey to another planet, humans will have to find the right place to land. New findings from a University of Mississippi researcher may point to just such a place on Mars.