Scientists have discovered a new planet called WASP-193b that is 50% bigger than Jupiter yet has a density comparable to cotton candy. The planet's low density makes it an outlier among the over 5,400 planets discovered so far.
A new rocky planet, TOI-6713.01, has been found to be covered with active volcanoes, making it glow with a fiery, glowing-red hue. The planet's surface temperature reaches 2,600 degrees Kelvin due to gravitational forces that cause it to experience tidal energy.
Researchers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have detected atmospheric gases surrounding 55 Cancri e, a hot rocky exoplanet. The discovery provides evidence for the existence of any rocky planet atmosphere outside our solar system, a long-standing mystery in exoplanet characterization.
Researchers at University of Colorado Boulder discovered that hydrogen atoms in Venus' atmosphere go into space, causing the planet to lose roughly twice as much water every day. The team found that a molecule called HCO+ is responsible for this process, which may have driven Venus to its dry state.
A new study challenges the initial detection of a biosignature gas on K2-18b, suggesting that the data may be inconclusive. However, researchers believe it's possible for life to produce detectable levels of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the planet's atmosphere.
Researchers have found that plants help regulate the planet's atmosphere by trapping carbon and emitting oxygen, acting as a buffer against rapid climate changes. However, when climate shifts too fast for vegetation to adapt, it can lead to mass extinctions and extreme environmental changes.
Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi have discovered thick clouds and a surprising lack of methane on the planet's nightside, while ubiquitous water presence was found throughout its atmosphere. The discovery reveals the first observation of clouds on the nightside of WASP-43b, a giant gas-filled exoplanet.
A team of astronomers and citizen scientists has discovered a planet in the habitable zone of an unusual star system, including two stars and potentially another exoplanet. The newly discovered planet, TOI 4633 c, boasts the second-longest orbit of any planet discovered with TESS data.
A recent study published in Nature Astronomy revealed that positively charged carbon ions are being accelerated to escape speeds in a previously unexplored region of Venus's magnetosphere. This discovery sheds new light on the planet's atmospheric evolution and the loss of its historical water content.
Megan Reiter, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, has received a $951,446 NSF grant to study the influence of neighboring stars on planet formation. Her research aims to clarify key forces shaping planet formation by exploring interplay between stars, planets, and environments.
Astronomers conducted the first search for forming planets using the James Webb Space Telescope, combining it with prior observations. The team found a potential planet candidate, but its existence is uncertain due to unknown factors.
A team of international astronomers has captured stunning images of over 80 young stars and planetary discs using the ESO's VLT. The research provides a wealth of data on planet formation, revealing diverse populations of planets and planetary nurseries across three star-forming regions in the Milky Way galaxy.
A team of astronomers has shed new light on the process of planet formation through a groundbreaking survey of over 80 young stars. The research provides a wealth of data and unique insights into how planets arise in different regions of our galaxy, revealing diverse patterns of planet-forming discs.
The James Webb Space Telescope has imaged dispersing gas in a young star's disk for the first time. The observations reveal winds driven by stellar photons or magnetic fields, shedding light on the end of planet formation and the evolution of circumstellar disks.
Astronomers have discovered a significant amount of water vapor in the disc around a young star, located exactly where planets are thought to be forming. This finding provides new insights into the distribution of water in planet-forming discs and its potential impact on planetary formation.
Astronomers have discovered an extreme Earth-like planet with lava oceans that orbits its sun-like star every four days. The young planet, just 500 million years old, is the nearest Earth-sized planet found so far and could provide valuable insights into the evolution of planets similar to our own.
Scientists have discovered an Earth-sized planet in our solar backyard that may be similar to early Earth due to its proximity to the Sun and crowded system. The newly discovered planet was identified using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and is part of a young star system called the Ursa Major Moving Group.
Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope to analyze the atmospheric composition of HAT-P-18 b, detecting water vapour and carbon dioxide. They also found a cloud deck that mutes the signals of many molecules, and their findings suggest the star's surface is covered by dark spots. The study highlights the importance of considerin...
Researchers have discovered a Jupiter-sized planet, WASP-69b, with a comet-like tail that trails the planet for at least 350,000 miles. The tail is shaped and pushed in the direction of Earth by radiation and an outflow of gas from its host star, providing a rare opportunity to study planetary mass-loss in real time.
Scientists simulated the runaway greenhouse effect, transforming habitable climates into hostile environments, with significant changes in atmospheric structure and cloud coverage. The study provides key insights for the search of life elsewhere, as it demonstrates a critical water vapor threshold beyond which a planet cannot cool down.
A team of astronomers used Webb to observe water and molecules in a highly irradiated disk in one of the most extreme environments in our galaxy. The results suggest that terrestrial planet formation conditions can occur in a broader range of environments than previously thought.
Researchers find planet more than 13 times as massive as Earth orbiting ultracool star LHS 3154, challenging current theories of planet formation. The discovery requires reexamination of how planets and stars form, with a heavy planetary core inferred that would need more solid material in the disk.
A newly discovered Neptune-mass exoplanet orbits a very low-mass M dwarf star, LHS 3154, in just 3.7 days, defying theoretical predictions that smaller stars shouldn't host massive planets. The discovery highlights the need for revised planet formation models.
Astronomers have discovered a rare six-planet system, HD110067, that exhibits an orbital resonance pattern, repeating every three and four orbits. This unique configuration provides valuable information on how sub-Neptunes form, evolve, and potentially support liquid water on their surfaces.
The NASA Hubble Space Telescope has measured the size of LTT 1445Ac, an Earth-sized exoplanet passing in front of a neighboring star. The planet's diameter is found to be 1.07 times that of Earth, indicating a rocky world with surface gravity similar to our own.
A team of researchers at the University of Liège has observed a glow in the night sky over Mars using the UVIS-NOMAD instrument on board the Trace Gas Orbiter satellite. This detection provides new insights into the Martian upper atmosphere and its variations throughout the year.
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a breakthrough discovery in planet formation, confirming the drifting of ice-coated solids into rocky-planet zones. The study found excess cool water in compact disks, consistent with pebble drift theory.
New studies show that giant gas planets in nearby star systems can prevent life on smaller, rocky planet neighbors by kicking them out of orbit and wreaking havoc on their climates. Researchers found that four giant planets in the HD 141399 system are likely to destroy the chances for life on Earth-like planets.
A new study suggests that Venus once had plate tectonics similar to those on early Earth, which could have supported microbial life. The researchers used atmospheric data and computer modeling to show that the planet's current atmosphere and surface pressure would only be possible with an early form of plate tectonics.
Researchers have observed a unique stage in the development of planetary systems by detecting a smooth protoplanetary disk around the young star DG Taurus. This discovery provides new insights into the conditions at the start of planet formation, challenging current theoretical expectations.
The James Webb Space Telescope detected no significant atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1 b, a planet in the habitable zone of its cool star. The study highlights the impact of stellar activity on observations of exoplanets, which can create 'ghost signals' that affect data interpretation.
Researchers used 3D simulations on Stampede2 to model the flow of HAT-P-32b's atmosphere, revealing a gigantic helium gas tail. The planet is losing significant atmospheric mass, which could help explain the mystery of intermediate-mass planets.
Astronomers have found a Neptune-sized planet denser than steel, suggesting extreme planetary collisions that stripped away lighter atmosphere and water. The discovery provides new insights into the formation and evolution of planetary systems.
Researchers have discovered an unusual Jupiter-sized exoplanet, TOI-4860 b, orbiting a low-mass star in the Corvus constellation. The planet is enriched with heavy elements and takes about 1.52 days to complete its orbit, making it a 'Warm Jupiter'.
The Hubble Space Telescope has observed extreme variability in the atmosphere of an exoplanet orbiting a young red dwarf star. The planet, AU Mic b, experiences unpredictable blasts of energy that evaporate its hydrogen atmosphere, but with varying success.
A new study has captured the early stages of planetary evolution, observing a young gas planet's violent and erratic atmospheric shedding. The research, led by Dartmouth researchers, provides insights into the most common experiences of planets beyond our solar system.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team modeled the early impact history of Venus to explain how it maintains a youthful surface despite lacking plate tectonics. The findings suggest that higher-speed, higher-energy impacts created a superheated core that promoted extended volcanism and resurfaced the planet.
Using ALMA, astronomers have found evidence of a cloud of debris that might be the building blocks of a new planet or the remnants of one already formed. This discovery would confirm the existence of Trojan planets outside our Solar System, which are rocky bodies sharing the same orbit as a planet.
A study by Caltech scientists reveals that Earth primarily consisted of dry, rocky materials during its early stages, with a major addition of life-essential volatiles occurring only in the last 15% of its formation. This finding provides crucial insights into the planet's formation process and has important implications for theories o...
Astronomers from University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy have discovered a Jupiter-like planet, Halla, that survived its host star Baekdu's expansion into a red giant. The study found that the planet persisted despite the normally perilous evolution of the star.
A team studied 19 protostars with ALMA to observe disk structure and signs of planet formation. They found fewer ring structures in younger disks, suggesting rapid planetary system progression.
Researchers found rock-forming elements in the atmosphere of WASP-76 b, which suggests it might have accreted a smaller Mercury-like planet. The discovery provides unprecedented insight into the presence and abundance of rock-forming elements in giant planets.
Researchers have identified a second circumbinary planet, BEBOP-1c, in the TOI-1338/BEBOP-1 system using state-of-the-art instruments. The newly discovered planet has a mass 65 times larger than Earth and orbits both stars at once.
Researchers have discovered a large gas giant orbiting two stars using the radial velocities method for the first time. The newly found system, TOI-1338/BEBOP-1, is only the second binary star system known to host multiple planets ever confirmed.
Researchers suggest a massive young planet is burning up in a superheated soup of raw material swirling around it, causing the star to flare. The simulation reveals a 'disc inferno' process where the planet's atmosphere ignites, feeding the star and making it shine brighter.
Researchers used the NIRISS instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope to create a temperature map of the exoplanet WASP-18 b, revealing a huge temperature change from day to night sides. Water vapor was also detected in the atmosphere at various elevations.
Astronomers at MIT and University of Wisconsin have discovered two validated planets, K2-416 b and K2-417 b, in Kepler's last week of high-quality data. The third planet candidate, EPIC 246251988 b, orbits its star every 10 days and is slightly farther away from Earth than the other two.
Astronomers have discovered an Earth-size exoplanet, LP 791-18 d, that may be covered in volcanoes. The planet's high volcanic activity could sustain an atmosphere and potentially support liquid water on its night side.
The newly discovered planet, LP 791-18d, is almost the same size as Earth and has a chaotic environment with intense temperatures and possible volcanic activity. The planet's proximity to its neighbor LP 791-18c could create hazardous gravitational forces, but also potentially seed its atmosphere with gases and water.
The newly discovered exoplanet LP 791-18 d orbits a small red dwarf star in the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist on its surface. Volcanic activity on this planet may sustain an atmosphere and potentially lead to the formation of life.
Astronomers have discovered a new temperate exoplanet, LP 791-18 d, with properties similar to those of Earth. The planet is believed to be covered in volcanoes due to tidal heating, which causes heat to build up in its interior.
A team of scientists led by NYU Abu Dhabi researcher Mohamad Ali-Dib discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet named LP 791-18 d. The planet may be carpeted with volcanoes and sustain water in liquid form, making it potentially habitable.
Astronomers have discovered an Earth-sized planet, LP 791-18d, with active volcanoes that could sustain an atmosphere, potentially allowing for liquid water and life. The planet's unique tidal locking creates a permanent day and night side, with the night side possibly experiencing condensation of water vapor.
The discovery of two shadow puppets in the disk of young star TW Hydrae suggests that planets may be forming in a complex system. The shadows are thought to be caused by the gravitational pull of two planets in slightly different orbital planes, with one planet likely to be Jupiter-mass.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a second shadow sweeping across the face of TW Hydrae's vast pancake-shaped gas-and-dust disk, suggesting the presence of two planets in slightly different orbital planes. The disks are likely proxies for these planets, which could be lapping each other as they whirl around the star.
A team of scientists at MIT and elsewhere have observed a star engulfing a nearby planet, a phenomenon that will also befall Earth in 5 billion years. The star's outburst was followed by a colder, longer-lasting signal, indicating the presence of gas from the star condensing into dust.
Researchers at the University of Georgia have confirmed evidence of a previously unknown planet outside our solar system using machine learning tools. The discovery highlights the potential for artificial intelligence to enhance scientists' work and speed up analysis, with the potential to dramatically expand exoplanet discoveries.
A UTSA-led research team has discovered a new exoplanet using indirect methods. The exoplanet, HIP 99770 b, is about 14 to 16 times the mass of Jupiter and orbits a nearly twice-as-massive star. This breakthrough opens a new avenue for scientists to discover and characterize exoplanets.
An international team of astronomers has discovered an exoplanet using a combined approach of direct imaging and precision measurements of a star's motion on the sky. The newly found planet, HIP 99770 b, is 14-16 times more massive than Jupiter and orbits just over three times further from its star.
Researchers propose that early interactions between the magma ocean and a molecular hydrogen proto-atmosphere could have given rise to Earth's signature features, including its abundant water. The study suggests that even dry rocky material collisions would generate large quantities of water through these atmospheric-magma interactions.