Astrobiology Collection (#2)

A giant planet orbiting the sun-like star 79 Ceti
This is an artists concept of a giant planet recently discovered orbiting the sun-like star 79 Ceti, located 117 light-years away in the constellation Cetus the sea monster

A large cloud covered planet rises over a rocky and barren alien world
An artists depiction of the view from a rocky and barren alien world. A large cloud covered planet rises over the airless environment

Illustration of Saturn from the icy surface of Enceladus
Artists concept of how Saturn may appear from the icy surface of Enceladus, one of Saturns eight major satellites. At a distance of 148 thousand miles

Artists concept of humans exploring the surface of an asteroid

A moon rises above a stormy gas giant planet
An artists depiction of a stormy gas giant planet with a lone moon coming over the horizon. A star above illuminates the scene as a distant star appears over the moon

Artists concept of lightning in Venus clouds
Lightning has been observed in Venus clouds, however it is not known if lightning strikes the surface as well. If it did, it would be one more infernal element in a nightmare world

A ringed gas giant exoplanet with moons

Artists concept of Kepler 444. It is currently the oldest known planetary system in our galaxy. All five planets are smaller than Earth

A partially lit terrestrial world

Flying life forms grace the crimson skies of the earth-like extrasolar planet Gliese
Flying life forms grace the crimson skies of the potentially earth-like extrasolar planet Gliese 581 c. The red dwarf star Gliese 581 rests on the horizon, presiding over a liquid water sea

Uranus seen from the surface of its moon, Ariel. Ariel is one of Uranus largest moons. Its surface is criss-crossed with canyon-like trenches

A lake of liquid methane on Saturns giant moon, Titan

Comet over Endeavour Crater
The comet of 2014 makes a close approach to Mars and puts on a spectacular show for the Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover

Artists concept of an Earth-sized planet passing in front of a sun-like star to show how part of the light from the star is blocked

2014 Comet over Aromatum, Mars
NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has a ringside seat as the 2014 comet passes very close to Mars

Panorama of a landscape on Venus at 700 degress Fahrenheit

Uranus seen from the surface of its moon, Cordelia

Astronauts explore the tumultuous surface of a comet
In the near future, humans will explore the tumultuous surface of a comet

A spacecraft beams through a small cluster of planets rich in ores and minerals
Out in space lies billions of worlds teeming with rich ores, minerals, and the possibility of neighbors. A fellow spacecraft beams through this small cluster of promising planets

Artists concept of a distant red planet orbiting its Sun. This alien world shows definite signs of water, and therefore maybe life itself

Artists concept of a view across the surface of Themisto towards Jupiter and its moons. This is how Jupiter and its Galilean satellites may appear from the surface of Jupiters tiny moon Themisto

Illustration of the surface of the massive Asgard impact basin on Jupiters moon
Dozens of knobby spires rise into the airless void to twice the height of the Statue of Liberty. Over the eons the dirty ice in the spires has slowly eroded

Artists concept showing how the surface of Earth appeared during the Hadean eon
Artists concept showing how the surface of the Earth may have appeared beneath its clouds about 500 million years after its birth, also known as the Hadean eon

Artists depiction of a gas giant planet surrounded by three moons. The view is from the largest and farthest moon in the group

High altitude clouds of water ice crystals on the planet Mars. The perspective is from an altitude of 30 miles and about 50A from the south pole

Artists concept of a robotic probe exploring a frigid ethane lake on Titan
A robotic probe explores a frigid ethane lake on Titan. This probe carries its own light source as the surface of Titan is only 0.1 percent as bright as the Earth s

Artists illustration of an Extrasolar Planet Orbiting Star HR 8799

Future astronauts observe an eruption on Io, Jupiters super-volcanic moon
Future astronauts observing an eruption on Io, Jupiters super-volcanic moon

Artists depiction of the difference in size between Earth and Kepler 22b
An artists depiction of the difference in size between Earth and Kepler 22b. Orbiting the star Kepler 22 in the constellation Cygnus, the planet is in a zone that might contain liquid water

An extraterrestrial civilization has lit the night side of its planet. Visible moons circle the planet

Artists concept of a Hot Jupiter orbiting a star named 51 Pegasi
In 1995 astronomers discovered a Hot Jupiter orbiting a star named 51 Pegasi, in the constellation of Pegasus. This planet was named Bellerophon. It orbits the star in just a few days

Uranus moon Miranda is covered with meandering cracks and grooves

Ice Scarp on Jupiters large moon, Callisto
Jupiters large moon, Callisto, is an icy world. Many steep cliffs, called scarps, criss-cross its surface

Artists concept of Jupiter as seen across the icy surface of its moon Europa
An artists concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of regions that look very much like pack-ice on Earths polar seas during spring thaws

A spheroid shape emerges from the formation of a new planet as its gravity gathers matter from surrounding rocks and debris

Artists concept of a Hot Jupiter extrasolar planet orbiting a sun-like star. The intense heat from the star blows off the planets atmosphere into space

Eruption of an ice volcano on the surface of Neptunes moon Triton
There is evidence that the south pole of Neptunes satellite Triton is host to dozens of ice volcanoes, or geysers. One such eruption was observed to shoot a towering jet of material to a height of

The view from the rim of the caldera of Olympus Mons on Mars, the largest volcano in the solar system

The Ice Fountains of Enceladus
Giant geysers of water ice crystal shooting hundreds of miles into space from Saturns moon Enceladus, also known as the Fountains of Enceladus

Exoplanet Gliese 581 d
Gliese 581d is the first extrasolar planet capable of having liquid water on its surface

Artists concept of animal and plant life on an alien planet
Artists concept of a world where the distinction between animal and plant life on the macro scale isn t so straightforward as it is on Earth

An artists impression of a Jupiter-size extrasolar planet being eclipsed by its
This is an artists impression of the Jupiter-size extrasolar planet, HD 189733b, being eclipsed by its parent star. The planet is a hot Jupiter

Scarp on Mercury
Future astronauts may enjoy watching the double sunrises and double sunsets of Mercury

Artists concept of a nebula over a hypothetical planet
This star-forming nebula is only a few light years from the surface of this hypothetical planet, resulting in a spectacular display in the evening sky

A crescent Jupiter and volcanic satellite, Io, hover over the horizon of the icy
A crescent Jupiter hovers near the horizon along with Jupiters volcanic satellite Io. In the foreground a meandering crevasse cleaves Europas icy surface

Artists concept of an Extrasolar Gas Giant with two of its many moons. It is comparable to Jupiter in size and mass. On its dark side a recent impact by a comet is visible

Plutos moon, Charon, hovers above the frozen landscape of the icy planet
Plutos moon, Charon, hovers above the pinkish, frozen landscape of the icy planet

An alien patrol zooms by over their home planet as night set upon the behemoth and the night life glistens through the clouds

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

Astrobiology, the captivating field that explores the possibility of life beyond Earth, takes us on a mesmerizing journey through our vast universe. From the gigantic scarp on Uranus' moon, Miranda, to the breathtaking artwork captured by the Kepler Mission space telescope, we are constantly reminded of the wonders that lie beyond our own planet. In one artist's concept, two Saturn-sized planets discovered by Kepler grace our imagination with their majestic presence. Meanwhile, another artwork depicts an astronaut gazing up at Mars' sun as they explore its mysterious terrain – a reminder of humanity's relentless pursuit to uncover extraterrestrial secrets. The cosmos continues to astound us with its enigmatic beauty. A bright star named Rigel is momentarily eclipsed by a moon from a hypothetical planet in one stunning image. And in another artist's rendering, Epsilon Eridani emerges as a possible habitable world where life could thrive. As we venture further into space exploration, we discover celestial marvels closer to home. Orbiting 70 Virginis is a super-Jupiter – an awe-inspiring sight that expands our understanding of planetary diversity. Ice spires adorn Jupiter's large moon Callisto while Ganymede showcases an impact crater alongside its colossal host planet. Astrobiology invites us to ponder profound questions about existence and what lies beyond our familiar blue sphere. It fuels our curiosity and ignites dreams of encountering alien civilizations or witnessing otherworldly landscapes firsthand. Through scientific inquiry and artistic interpretation alike, astrobiology inspires us to embrace both the known and unknown realms of outer space. As we delve deeper into this captivating field, may it continue to ignite wonder within us all and drive humanity towards new frontiers yet unexplored.