The discovery of an exomoon in the CD-35 2722 system, orbiting a brown dwarf rather than a planet, challenges our understanding of planetary objects. The exosatellite is estimated to be at least as massive as Jupiter and orbits a highly massive companion, blurring the lines between stars, planets, and moons.
Astronomers have detected an atmosphere on a rocky planet, LHS 1140 b, in the habitable zone of its host star, which is consistent with conditions for liquid water and potentially life. The discovery was made using the WINERED spectrograph on the Magellan Clay telescope and reveals helium escaping from the upper atmosphere.
A team of astronomers has detected the first atmosphere on an Earth-like, rocky planet orbiting within the habitable zone of another star. The discovery provides evidence that worlds with conditions similar to Earth could exist beyond our solar system.
A new study by University of Florida Assistant Professor Jason Dittmann reveals that the rocky exoplanet LHS 1140b may have its own atmosphere. The planet's age and atmospheric composition suggest a steady-state atmosphere with water, which could persist over time.
Astronomers have discovered a third planet, Beta Pictoris d, in the system, which is 100 times fainter than Beta Pictoris b and 2.4 times more massive than Jupiter. The planet's wide orbit and extreme faintness make its detection a significant achievement.
The study uses the upgraded GRAVITY+ instrument to measure the carbon isotope ratio in Beta Pic B's atmosphere, but finds inconsistent results that challenge its interpretation. The findings suggest that the planet may have formed outside the snowline, where CO was present as ice, rather than gas.
Researchers have discovered daily cloud cycles on WASP-94A b, a Hot Jupiter planet, using data from the James Webb Space Telescope. The findings reveal different weather patterns on the morning and evening sides of the planet, with magnesium silicate clouds forming in the mornings and clearing up by nightfall. This breakthrough provide...
Researchers use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to analyze light passing through a distant, temperate gas giant planet's atmosphere, revealing methane and potentially other gases. The study provides insights into planetary formation and evolution, and could improve understanding of Earth's atmosphere.
The team analyzed LHS 3844 b's infrared radiation, finding it doesn't match Earth-like silicate-rich minerals. Instead, the spectrum suggests a dark, rocky surface composed of basaltic or magmatic minerals, possibly with a recently active geological history.
A team of astronomers using a new method to find planets has detected 27 potential circumbinary planet candidates in double star systems. The findings, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, broaden our understanding of planet formation and evolution in complex environments.
Researchers use a meteorite resembling Mercury's chemical makeup to recreate the planet's conditions, finding that sulfur lowers the temperature at which magma begins to crystallize. This process reveals how Mercury's low iron content and high sulfur levels shape its interior evolution and crust formation.
The discovery of TOI-5205 b, a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a four times more massive star than our Sun, reveals its atmosphere has fewer heavy elements than expected. The research suggests that the planet's interior and atmosphere are not mixing, resulting in a carbon-rich, oxygen-poor atmosphere.
A team of researchers has proposed an integrated detection system for high-precision atmospheric characterization and resource utilization on Venus. The system combines gas filtration, enrichment, and spectroscopic analysis to detect trace gases and their isotopic signatures, overcoming the challenges posed by sulfuric acid clouds.
Researchers have discovered a second planet, WISPIT 2c, in the same system as the previously detected WISPIT 2b, which is estimated to be about 5 million years-old and has a mass ten times that of Jupiter. The young gas giant was detected using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer.
A new AI pipeline called RAVEN has validated over 100 exoplanets, including 31 newly detected planets, using NASA's TESS data. The study found that around 9-10% of Sun-like stars host a close-in planet, and 'Neptunian desert' planets occur around just 0.08% of Sun-like stars.
Researchers use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to study the ultra-low-density planet Kepler-51d, which defies planetary formation models. A thick layer of haze on the planet obscures its chemical elements and origin, making it challenging to discern its formation process.
A new class of molten planet has been discovered, with a permanent ocean of magma and a unique composition of heavy sulphur molecules. This exoplanet, L 98-59 d, is unlike any known planet in our Solar System and may be the first of its kind in the galaxy.
A Northumbria University PhD student has led an international team in creating the first-ever three-dimensional map of Uranus's upper atmosphere. The observations provide detailed information on where auroras form and how energy moves through the planet's atmosphere, confirming that the upper atmosphere is still cooling.
Astronomers discovered a distant planetary system around LHS 1903 that breaks the pattern of rocky planets orbiting close to their host star and gas giants farther away. The system's unusual architecture suggests an inside-out planet formation process, where planets form sequentially in ever-changing environments.
Researchers using ESA's Cheops satellite find a small rocky planet in LHS 1903 system, which defies conventional understanding of planetary order and formation. The discovery sparks renewed interest in exploring alternative explanations for this unusual system.
A team of researchers used spectral data from the James Webb Space Telescope to study the HR 8799 star system, finding clear evidence of sulfur on three gas giant planets. This discovery suggests that these massive planets likely formed through core accretion, contradicting older models.
A team from the University of Trento has identified an empty subsurface lava tube beneath Venus' surface, estimated to be approximately one kilometer in diameter and 375 meters deep. The discovery was made possible by analyzing Magellan's radar images and provides new insights into Venus' volcanic processes and geology.
The absence of exoplanets orbiting tight binary stars is attributed to the effects of general relativity, which causes gravitational tugs from the stars to make a planet's orbit precess. This process makes it difficult for close-in planets to survive, with 75% being destroyed due to tidal disruptions or ejection from the system.
The discovery of PSR J2322-2650b, a Jupiter-mass exoplanet orbiting a rapidly spinning neutron star, challenges our understanding of planet formation. The exoplanet's atmosphere is dominated by molecular carbon and exhibits a unique helium-carbon composition.
A team of researchers has discovered a distinct group of hot Jupiters whose circular orbits contradict the expected timescale for tidal migration. These planets exhibit characteristics consistent with disk migration, such as primordial alignment and planet multiplicity, suggesting they formed smoothly within the protoplanetary disk.
A team of astronomers used NASA's JWST to reveal an alien atmosphere in the ancient, ultra-hot super-Earth TOI-561 b. The planet's thick atmosphere is upending conventional wisdom about ultra-short-period planets, and its composition could be representative of planets that formed when the universe was relatively young.
Researchers have discovered that jarosite selectively captures bromine under Mars-like conditions, offering insights into the Red Planet's aqueous past and halogen cycling. The study reveals a clear trend: bromine is strongly favored over chlorine for incorporation into jarosite, with specific temperature-dependent effects.
Astronomers at Northwestern University have directly imaged a Tatooine-like exoplanet orbiting two suns, revealing unique insights into how planets form around multiple stars. The discovery provides an unprecedented look at the complex dynamics of binary systems and offers new opportunities to test theories of planet formation.
Researchers discovered that bridgmanite acts like a microscopic 'water container', allowing early Earth to retain substantial amounts of water in the mantle as it solidified. This retained water played a crucial role in transforming the planet from an inferno into a habitable world.
Researchers detect strong evidence for an atmosphere on ultra-hot super-Earth TOI-561 b, challenging the idea that small planets can't sustain atmospheres. The planet's unusually low density is explained by a thick volatile-rich atmosphere that circulates heat and cools the nightside.
A team of astronomers detected with precision two huge tails of gas surrounding the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-121b using the James Webb Space Telescope. The continuous observation revealed a trailing tail pushed back by radiation and a leading tail pulled towards the star, covering over three times the distance between planet and star.
Recent observations of TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized exoplanet in the habitable zone, reveal hints of methane but raise questions about its atmosphere's existence. Researchers caution that more rigorous studies are needed to determine if the methane is a sign of an atmosphere or stellar contamination.
The Subaru Telescope's OASIS program has discovered a massive planet and a brown dwarf orbiting distant stars. These discoveries enable the upcoming Roman Space Telescope to test critical technologies for imaging Earth-like planets.
A young rogue planet has displayed a record-breaking 'growth spurt', consuming 6 billion tons of gas and dust every second over several months. The observations provide insight into the turbulent infancy of such celestial bodies, revealing a tumultuous growth process similar to that of stars like our Sun.
Astronomers have identified a rogue planet with a mass five to 10 times that of Jupiter, growing at an unprecedented rate of six billion tonnes per second. The discovery provides valuable insights into the formation and growth of rogue planets, suggesting they may share a similar path to star formation.
Astronomers from Trinity College Dublin used the James Webb Space Telescope to study the weather of a nearby rogue planet, SIMP-0136. They found strong auroral activity similar to Earth's Northern Lights and detected minute changes in temperature, cloud cover, and chemistry.
Researchers at UC Riverside discovered a carbon burial process in the ocean that can cause Earth's temperature to overshoot and cool down, potentially triggering an ice age. The study suggests that the planet's thermostat is not functioning as expected due to changes in atmospheric oxygen levels.
A team of researchers captured the motion of spirals of dust around a young star using ALMA observations. The study shows that the winding motion of the spiral pattern is conducive to planet formation, providing new evidence for this process.
An international team has published a new framework for studying 'Earth engineers' who have fundamentally altered ecosystems globally. The framework distinguishes between engineering behaviors with local and planetary scale effects, offering insights into how humans and other organisms have shaped the planet.
Researchers suggest that interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS could become seeds for giant planets, solving a long-standing puzzle about their rarity. By capturing millions of these objects, planetary formation can be sped up, allowing gas giants to form within the lifetime of the planet-forming disc.
Scientists have captured images of Mars' aurorae and developed tools to predict when they will occur on the Red Planet. The predictions are crucial for ensuring astronaut safety during solar storms.
A study by Stockholm University revealed a planet-forming disk with an unexpectedly high abundance of carbon dioxide, challenging long-standing assumptions about planetary birthplaces. The discovery was made using the James Webb Space Telescope and suggests intense ultraviolet radiation may be reshaping the chemistry of the disk.
A new study of Martian seismic data collected by NASA's InSight mission reveals a highly heterogeneous and disordered mantle on Mars, born from ancient impacts and chaotic convection. The findings offer an unprecedented window into the geological history and thermochemical evolution of a terrestrial planet under a stagnant lid.
New research finds Mars' mantle preserves a record of its violent beginnings, with chunky layers containing ancient fragments up to 4km wide. This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of rocky planets and challenges current understanding of planetary formation.
Researchers detected a new planet, WISPIT 2b, at an early stage of formation around a young analog of our Sun, estimated to be about 5 million years-old. The discovery provides valuable insights into planet-disk interaction and subsequent evolution.
Astronomers have detected a growing planet outside our solar system in a cleared gap of a multi-ringed disk of dust and gas. The discovery provides the first direct evidence that protoplanets can create these gaps, resolving a long-standing debate in the scientific community.
Researchers at DTU calculate the impact of everyday activities on the environment, providing a framework for consumers to make informed choices. The study assesses 23 common activities across six environmental categories, revealing that some lifestyle changes have a significant impact on the climate budget.
A new Durham University study challenges the idea that Jupiter's dilute core was formed by a giant impact, instead suggesting it resulted from how the growing planet absorbed heavy and light materials as it formed. This discovery also sheds light on Saturn's similar dilute core, implying these structures may form gradually during plane...
Astronomers have detected a newborn planet in action, carving out an intricate pattern in the gas and dust surrounding its young host star. The planet candidate is estimated to be twice the size of Jupiter and has been observed shaping its surroundings within the protoplanetary disc as it grows into a fully formed planet.
Researchers tracked the ultra-hot Jupiter TOI-2109b's orbital decay to understand how stars dissipate energy. The study found three possible fates for the planet: being torn apart by tidal forces, plunging into its star, or having its gaseous envelope stripped away.
M-MATISSE aims to unravel Mars' magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere using two identical spacecraft. The mission could provide crucial insights into the planet's habitability and evolution.
Researchers have detected planet-forming 'pebbles' around two young stars, DG Tau and HL Tau, revealing large reservoirs of pebbles out to at least Neptune-like orbits. This discovery offers an early glimpse into the formation of planetary systems and may help understand how planets are formed.
Astronomers detect first-ever evidence of a 'planet with a death wish' as HIP 67522 b orbits extremely close to its host star, triggering flares that erode the planet's atmosphere. The radiation is so intense it causes the planet to shrink and lose mass at an alarming rate.
A new IIASA-led study finds that Earth's carbon-climate system may be more fragile than thought, with quantified 'stress power' reaching between 12.8 and 15.5 pascals per year. The researchers also identified a turning point in the planet's response to stress around 1925-1945.
Researchers discovered signs of planet formation in disks around still-forming baby stars, suggesting planets begin to form earlier than previously believed. The new high-resolution images show ring or spiral patterns in 27 of the disks, providing a better understanding of when planet formation begins.
A University of Mississippi researcher has discovered indications of near-surface water ice on Mars, which could provide drinking water, fuel, oxygen, and other essential resources for future human missions. The finding is significant because it could enable humans to explore the Red Planet without relying on resupply from Earth.
A new study reveals a connection between solar flares and short-term weather patterns on exoplanets. The research found that sudden outbursts of radiation from stars can cause measurable changes in a planet's climate within days.
Researchers have discovered a likely site of a new planet in formation using the European Southern Observatory's VLT. The disk, which extends 130 astronomical units from its parent star, shows a bright ring and spiral arms.
An international team of astronomers has found a giant planet, TOI-6894b, orbiting a tiny star, TOI-6894, which is smaller than expected to host such a massive planet. The discovery challenges the core accretion theory on planet formation.