Astrobiology Lab

Astrobiology Simulation: Life Beyond Earth

This astrobiology simulation examines the scientific principles that guide the search for life beyond Earth. Students investigate how temperature, water availability, chemical energy, and stellar radiation define a planet's habitability, drawing on real discoveries from extremophile research and planetary science. It bridges biology and astronomy to show why life's building blocks may exist across the cosmos.

What you can do in this simulation

• Adjust planetary parameters — distance from star, surface temperature, atmosphere — and assess habitability
• Explore how extremophile organisms survive in acidic, high-pressure, or radiation-rich environments on Earth
• Identify biosignatures that scientists look for in atmospheric spectra of exoplanets
• Compare the habitable zone boundaries for stars of different sizes and temperatures
• Examine the role of liquid water and carbon chemistry as prerequisites for known life

Concepts covered

habitable zone · extremophiles · biosignatures · exoplanet biology · origin of life · astrobiology

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