A team of UChicago astronomers, led by Jacob Bean, is utilizing new methods to analyze the atmospheres of exoplanets, with a focus on distinguishing between gas giants and water worlds. The search for exoplanets has revealed an estimated 17 billion Earth-sized planets in the Milky Way galaxy, potentially harboring life-sustaining worlds.
The Journal of Geophysical Research Planets special edition features 35 LRO papers highlighting discoveries on ancient impacts, global structures, and subsurface hydrogen deposits.
A Penn State research team has developed a new model to determine whether discovered planets can support liquid water and life. The updated model suggests that habitable zones are farther away from stars than previously thought, potentially reclassifying some previously believed habitable planets as non-habitable.
A team of astronomers analyzed Kepler mission data and found that 17% of sun-like stars have planets one to two times the diameter of Earth, orbiting close to their host stars. These planets may be rocky and habitable within the Goldilocks zone.
Researchers have found an asteroid belt surrounding Vega, a star similar to the Sun, and believe multiple planets are orbiting it. The discovery was made using Infrared Space Telescopes, which detected infrared light emitted by warm and cold dust in discrete regions around the stars.
A recent study found that wide binary stars in planetary systems can lead to dramatic events over time. In one hypothetical system, at least one of four giant planets was ejected in almost half of the simulations. The researchers also discovered substantial evidence that this process occurs regularly in known extrasolar planetary systems.
Researchers using NASA's Kepler spacecraft have found that about 17% of stars have an Earth-sized planet in an orbit closer than Mercury. This means there are at least 17 billion possible Earth-like planets in the Milky Way, with 50% of stars having a planet of Earth-size or larger in a close orbit.
Scientists have discovered six likely comets around distant stars, which could be a sign that comets are as common in other stellar systems as planets. The discovery was made using the high-resolution spectrograph of the McDonald Observatory telescope and suggests that comets may play a crucial role in planetary formation.
Astrophysicists found that wide binary stars have a significant impact on planetary systems, causing violent disruptions and scattering planets. The researchers conducted computer simulations and found that planets in these systems are often ejected to interstellar space.
A Caltech-led team estimated that there are at least 100 billion planets in the galaxy, with one planet per star, based on their analysis of the Kepler-32 system. The planets in this system are typical of those found around M-dwarf stars and may represent the majority of planets in the galaxy.
Astronomers have discovered that planets forming around a young star are helping the star continue to grow by clearing gaps in its surrounding disk. The ALMA telescope has detected thin gas filling these gaps and streamers of dense gas bringing material from the outer disk, near and onto the planets.
Astronomers using ALMA have observed the first direct evidence of vast gas streams flowing across a gap in a young star's disc, thought to be created by giant planets guzzling gas as they grow. The discovery provides insight into planet formation theories.
Tau Ceti, the closest single star to our Sun, has been found to have a planetary system with five planets. The estimated masses range from two to six times that of Earth, making it the lowest-mass planetary system yet detected.
Researchers found that planets in solar systems with similar stars may be warmer and more dynamic, potentially hosting microbial life. This could expand the habitable zone around those stars, making them more suitable for life.
New research suggests that planets orbiting white or brown dwarfs are unlikely to support life due to the cooling and shrinking of their habitable zones. The study's findings indicate that such planets would have had to undergo a 'sterilization phase' in the past, making them dead for hosting life.
Astronomers have discovered a super-Jupiter orbiting the star Kappa Andromedae, with a mass about 12.8 times greater than Jupiter's. The object's ambiguity between being a planet or brown dwarf allows researchers to explore theoretical limits of planetary formation.
Asteroid belts may play a key role in the evolution of complex life. According to a NASA study, only a tiny fraction of planetary systems seem to have giant planets in the right location to produce an asteroid belt of the appropriate size. This suggests that our solar system may be special.
Researchers at Uppsala University will analyze atmospheres of earth-like exoplanets using the CRIRES+ instrument. The project seeks to determine if these planets can support life.
Astronomers at the Gemini Observatory have produced exceptionally high-resolution images of Pluto and its largest companion Charon using a method called reconstructive speckle imaging. The resulting images hint at the exoplanet verification power of large state-of-the-art telescopes combined with speckle imaging techniques.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a simulation model to study how planets form from protostellar disks. The models simulate key factors such as turbulence and temperature, which affect planet formation, providing insights into the conditions most favorable for planetary birth.
Kepler-47b and Kepler-47c are the smallest known transiting circumbinary planets, with masses of 8 and 20 times that of Earth. The outer planet, Kepler-47c, is located within the habitable zone and orbits every 303 days, making it a promising candidate for hosting liquid water.
Astronomers discover the first transiting circumbinary multi-planet system, Kepler-47, which contains two planets orbiting around a pair of stars. The inner planet is the smallest known transiting circumbinary planet and orbits every 49 days, while the outer planet orbits every 303 days and is in the habitable zone.
Project 1640 has achieved unprecedented high-contrast imaging, revealing celestial objects 1 million to 10 million times fainter than the star at its center. The instrument can darken speckles far beyond any previous capability, effectively carving a dark square in the speckle background centered on the star.
A new method has been developed to measure the mass of non-transiting planets using carbon monoxide signatures in their atmospheres. This breakthrough technique allows for precise mass determination, opening a new path to study exoplanet properties and potentially detect molecules associated with life.
A previously unappreciated open star cluster, Ruprecht 147, has been found to be an important tool in understanding stellar astrophysics and the search for Earth-like planets. The cluster is close to Earth and contains stars similar in mass and age to the Sun, making it a valuable laboratory for studying bright stars.
The newly discovered two-planet system of Kepler-36 features a rocky planet Kepler-36b and a gas giant Kepler-36c that experience close encounters every 97 days. Researchers are struggling to understand how these worlds ended up in such tight orbits, but the discovery has significant implications for the search for exoplanets.
Astronomers have found two planets with diverse densities and compositions locked in close orbits, defying the planetary pattern of our solar system. The discovery, made possible by NASA's Kepler Mission, reveals a 'puzzling pair' that challenges theories on planet migration and orbital rearrangement.
A research team has discovered two planets, Kepler-36b and Kepler-36c, in an orbital tug-of-war as they orbit the same star about 1,200 light years from Earth. The planets occupy nearly the same orbital plane and come within 1.2 million miles of each other at their closest approach.
The KELT telescope has discovered two unusual planets, including a massive, puffed-up planet dubbed KELT-1b that may challenge our understanding of solar system evolution. The other planet, KELT-2Ab, is a Jupiter-like world with a bright star that will allow astronomers to study its atmosphere.
Researchers have found that terrestrial planets like Earth could have formed earlier than expected in the universe's history. The study suggests that rocky worlds don't need to orbit metal-rich stars to form and that their sizes are not directly linked to the star's metallicities.
New research reveals small planets can form around stars with low heavy element content, challenging previous assumptions. This discovery suggests Earth-like planets may be widespread in the universe, contradicting earlier theories on planetary formation requirements.
A recent study proposes that up to 100,000 nomad planets might exist in the Milky Way Galaxy for every star, with an estimated quadrillion number of total nomads. If confirmed, this could mean nomad planets play a significant role in the universe.
Research suggests hundreds of billions of free-floating, Earth-sized life-bearing planets exist between stars in the Milky Way. These 'missing mass' planets could mix cosmic primordial life on a galaxy-wide scale.
Astronomers discovered that hot Jupiter-type planets are likely to have no companions in their systems, supporting the theory of a close encounter with another body causing orbital elongation. This study used Kepler mission data and found compelling evidence for companion planets around warm Jupiters and hot Neptunes.
A study by Carnegie's Alan Boss and team found that hot-Jupiter planets' early movements likely disrupted the formation of Earth-like planets near them. The researchers analyzed data from NASA's Kepler mission to discover potential companions of these hot-Jupiter planets.
Astronomers will witness a rare transit of Venus, appearing as a small black dot on the Sun's surface, which won't happen again until 2117. The event will help scientists study Venus's atmosphere and potentially aid in finding extrasolar planets.
Scientists at Penn State's Arecibo Observatory have discovered flaring radio emission from an ultra-cool star, shattering the previous record for lowest stellar temperature at which radio waves were detected. The star, named J1047+21, is a brown dwarf with a surface temperature not much higher than that of a giant planet.
The ALMA observatory has discovered a nearby planetary system with sharp-edged dust ring, indicating 'shepherding' planets that keep the disk within their gravitational effect. The planets are smaller than previously thought, about the size of Mars to a few times the Earth, and are among the coldest planets found orbiting a normal star.
Astronomers at the University of Florida have discovered two low-mass planets orbiting the nearby star Fomalhaut. Using ALMA's superior resolution and sensitivity, they found that the ring of dust surrounding the star is shaped by two planets working together to maintain its narrow width.
New research reveals that runaway planets exist and can reach speeds of up to 30 million miles per hour, outpacing most objects in the Galaxy. These hypervelocity planets are produced by double-star systems interacting with supermassive black holes.
Researchers found it's unlikely materials can spread between Gliese 581's super-Earth and other planets due to high orbital velocities, making biologic exchange unique to our solar system.
Computer simulations reveal that giant gas planets prefer certain orbits over others, resulting in 'planet pile-ups' and 'planet deserts'. High-energy radiation from baby stars carves gaps in protoplanetary disks, corralling planets into specific orbits.
The NIST/CU laser frequency comb has been used to calibrate measurements of starlight from stars other than the Sun, achieving precision comparable to established techniques. This technique may help detect Earth-like planets, which are hard to detect with conventional technology.
A new model, published by Anne Hofmeister and Robert Criss, presents a three-dimensional gas cloud scenario for planetary accretion. The model explains planetary orbits and spins without relying on heat production, conserving angular momentum in a cold environment.
A recent study analyzed the photospheric stellar abundances of planet-host stars, uncovering a wide variety of terrestrial planet compositions. The results suggest that extrasolar planets may be significantly different from Earth due to variations in elemental ratios and planetary formation processes.
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory found a phase change in molten magnesium silicate that transforms to a more dense liquid with increasing pressure. This discovery provides insight into planet formation and suggests that extra-solar 'Super-Earth' planets may have different structures than Earth.
Two new planets, Kepler-34 and Kepler-35, have been discovered orbiting binary suns in the Cygnus constellation. The discovery indicates that planets can revolve around double stars, challenging our understanding of solar systems.
A recent study found that a large fraction of planets have orbital distances between 0.5 and 10 sun-Earth distances, challenging the previous assumption that most extrasolar planets were gas giants closer to their stars.
Researchers have discovered two new planets, Kepler-34b and Kepler-35b, orbiting a binary star system using data from NASA's Kepler mission. The low-density gas giants are comparable in size to Jupiter but much less massive, with Kepler-34 being about 24% smaller and Kepler-35 being about 26% smaller.
Most of the Milky Way's 100 billion stars have planets similar to Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The research found an average of 1.6 planets in the habitable zone around each star.
The discovery of three smallest confirmed planets ever detected outside our solar system may boost the likelihood of existence of habitable planets. The planets, all rocky with a solid surface, orbit a small star called KOI-961, which is similar to red dwarfs, the most common type in the Milky Way.
A team of astronomers using gravitational microlensing detected three exoplanets, including a super-Earth and planets comparable to Neptune and Jupiter. Combining this data with previous findings, the researchers conclude that planets are more common than stars in the Milky Way.
Scientists have discovered two new circumbinary planets, Kepler-34b and Kepler-35b, orbiting two stars in the constellation Cygnus. The discovery suggests that planets with two suns are common, potentially existing in millions in the Galaxy. This finding sheds light on the formation of these unique planetary systems.
Two new transiting circumbinary planet systems have been discovered using data from NASA's Kepler Mission. The planets, Kepler-34 b and Kepler-35 b, orbit two stars in the constellation Cygnus, with climates that could experience dramatic temperature changes due to the variable distance between the planet and its stars.
Astronomers at Vanderbilt University and Caltech discovered three smallest planets yet orbiting a distant star, KOI-961, connected to Barnard's star. The planets range in size from Mars to three-quarters the size of Earth, with short orbits making liquid water impossible.
Astronomers have discovered two Earth-sized planets, KOI 55.01 and KOI 55.02, that survived the red-giant expansion of their host star, KIC 05807616. The planets are extremely close to their host star and experience harsh temperatures up to 16,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Researchers have discovered two planets that survived being engulfed by their parent star, shedding new light on stellar and planetary systems. The discovery may also offer insights into the possible future of our own solar system.
Researchers have discovered two planets of sizes comparable to Earth orbiting an old star that has just passed the red giant stage. The planets, named KOI 55.01 and KOI 55.02, are thought to be the dense cores of ancient giant planets whose gaseous envelopes were vaporized during the immersion phase.
Astronomers using NASA's Kepler mission have detected two Earth-sized planets, Kepler-20e and 20f, orbiting a G-type star. The discovery brings scientists closer to their goal of finding a twin Earth, with the planets expected to have rocky compositions and masses less than those of Earth.
Researchers at Ohio State University found that carbon-rich planets could form with a core and mantle, but these cores would be very carbon-rich and mantles dominated by diamond. This means no geothermal energy, plate tectonics, or magnetic field on such planets.