The Search for Life Beyond Earth

On Earth, wherever there is life, there is water. Are there other places in our solar system that might contain water and perhaps life? Join us in this fascinating exploration in The Search for Life Beyond Earth. Discover what scientist have learned about life in extreme environments on Earth and how this is suggesting what kind of life we look for in our Solar System and beyond.

Visit a boiling hot mud pot in Yellowstone National Park, a high temperature and pressure deep sea vent on the Earth's ocean floor, and a river in Spain as acidic as stomach acid. We couldn't live in any of these places, but microbes thrive! Step on a scale and see how much water you are made of and learn why water is important for all life.

Think like a scientist and drive a Mars "Rover" looking for signs of water, practice collecting a microbe sample from a deep gold mine like a scientist, take a trip to the ocean floor in the Alvin submersible, and solve a puzzle about the surface of Europa. All along the way discover how understanding life in extreme places on Earth help direct our search for life on Mars, Europa, Titan, and even deep space.