New Habitable Zone Planet Found in Unusual Star System
The newly discovered planet, identified by volunteer planet hunters and confirmed by scientists at the Flatiron Institute and their colleagues, has an exceptionally long orbit….
Exoplanet News
An exoplanet, or extrasolar planet, is a planet that orbits a star outside our solar system. The study of exoplanets has become a significant field within astronomy, especially since the first confirmed detection in 1992. Exoplanets vary widely in size, composition, and orbit, ranging from gas giants many times the mass of Jupiter to small, rocky planets akin to Earth. They are often discovered using indirect methods such as the transit method, where a planet passing in front of its host star causes a measurable dip in the star’s brightness, or the radial velocity method, which detects variations in a star’s motion due to gravitational pulls from orbiting planets. The study of exoplanets includes understanding their atmospheres, potential to support life, and formation and evolution processes. These discoveries have not only expanded our knowledge of planetary systems but also challenged existing theories about planet formation and the uniqueness of our solar system.
Webb Space Telescope Unveils the Strange Split Personality of WASP-39b
The James Webb Space Telescope has provided a detailed analysis of WASP-39b, a tidally locked exoplanet exhibiting differing atmospheric conditions on its morning and evening…
Webb’s Super-Jupiter Breakthrough: Oldest and Coldest Exoplanet Ever Imaged
Researchers using the JWST have captured a new image of Eps Ind Ab, a super-Jupiter with an orbital distance significantly greater than previously estimated. This…
Astronomers Solve Mystery of Decaying Planetary Orbits
A study from Durham University reveals that stellar magnetic fields could be key to understanding the orbital decay of ‘hot Jupiter’ exoplanets, providing new insights…
Remarkable Webb Telescope Find: Mysterious Dust Clouds on an Alien World
Scientists used the James Webb Telescope to study WASP-43b, finding high-altitude clouds and large temperature differences between its day and night sides. Their findings provide…
Eternal Day and Night: Webb’s Journey To Understand a Distant World’s Bizarre Atmosphere
Near-infrared spectral analysis of terminator confirms differences in morning and evening atmosphere. Since the first exoplanet was discovered in 1992, thousands of planets orbiting stars…
Redefining Planets Across the Universe
A new proposal seeks to change the scientific definition of a planet, which currently requires orbiting our sun. The International Astronomical Union defines a planet…
Life Beyond Earth? Webb Space Telescope Investigates a Surprising Nearby Ice Planet
Researchers used data from multiple space telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to study the exoplanet LHS 1140 b, located 48 light-years away…
Webb’s Super-Earth Discovery: Potentially Habitable World Just 48 Light-Years Away
A team of astronomers has made an exciting discovery about the temperate exoplanet LHS 1140 b: it could be a promising “super-Earth” covered in ice…
Rotten Egg Revelations: Discovering Hidden Cosmic Chemistry on a Nearby Exoplanet
Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered that the exoplanet HD 189733 b, known for its extreme weather, also contains hydrogen sulfide in…
Geoscientists Unlock the Mystery: Why We Haven’t Met Aliens Yet
Researchers suggest that the scarcity of oceans, continents, and long-term plate tectonics on exoplanets likely explains the rarity of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, challenging the estimates…
Searching for Signs of Advanced Civilizations: Interstellar Detectives Trace Alien Terraforming
In the quest to uncover extraterrestrial life, researchers have identified telltale greenhouse gases that could indicate advanced alien civilizations are actively terraforming distant planets. The…
Eccentric Oddities: Surprise Discovery of Mysterious Mini-Neptune Exoplanets
Researchers discovered four mini-Neptunes with volatile-rich compositions around red dwarfs, using both space and ground-based telescopes. Researchers discovered mini-Neptunes[1] around four red dwarfs[2], which are…
Scientists Uncover First Building Block in Super-Earth Formation
A new study reveals that magnesium oxide, a key mineral in planet formation, might be the first to solidify in developing “super-Earth” exoplanets, with its…
Unexpected Find: Webb Discovers Mystery Sulfur on Distant Planet
GJ 3470 b is a gas dwarf with unexpected sulfur dioxide in its atmosphere. This discovery provides insights into planet formation and chemical reactions. A…
Webb Does the “Impossible” – Space Telescope Captures First Glimpse of an Exoplanet’s Interior
James Webb Space Telescope data reveals WASP-107 b has significantly less methane than expected and a surprisingly large core, providing key insights into its atmospheric…
Life Beyond Earth: Webb’s Spectroscopic Hunt for Earth-Like Planets
The James Webb Space Telescope is actively researching small, potentially habitable exoplanets, utilizing transmission spectroscopy to analyze their atmospheric compositions. The process is complicated by…
Phoenix Rises: ‘Weird’ New Planet Defies Expectations
Phoenix, an exoplanet defying usual degradation by its nearby red giant, retains a thick atmosphere, upending assumptions about atmospheric loss and planetary decay in harsh…