Researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill have measured the temperature of a large sample of super flares, providing insights into life-prohibiting levels of UV radiation. The study's findings will inform the choice of planetary systems to be observed by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
A study by Washington State University scientists has identified two dozen exoplanets that could potentially support complex life. These superhabitable planets are characterized by being older, slightly warmer, and possibly wetter than Earth, with some orbiting stars that may be more suitable for life than our sun.
A study by UCR astrobiologist Stephen Kane suggests that Venus was likely habitable a billion years ago due to its more circular orbit. The findings could provide insights into how the Earth became habitable and what went wrong for Venus, which now has surface temperatures of up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
Research led by Durham University found that massive collisions could have stripped the early Earth of up to 60% of its atmosphere, leading to the Moon's creation. The study developed a new method for predicting atmospheric loss from any collision, which could aid in understanding the Moon's origins and other giant impacts.
The discovery of WD 1856 b, a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a white dwarf every 34 hours, shows the likely presence of planets around these star remnants. The finding was made possible by NASA's TESS Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope data.
Astronomers have detected a Jupiter-sized planet, TOI-1899 b, orbiting a low-mass star, providing insights into the formation of giant planets. The discovery was made possible by the Habitable-zone Planet Finder spectrograph and offers a unique opportunity to study the properties of warm Jupiters.
A team of researchers from Arizona State University and the University of Chicago found that carbon-rich exoplanets could convert to diamond and silicate under high heat and pressure. However, these planets are unlikely to be habitable due to their geological inactivity.
Researchers used AI and quantum mechanics to study dense metallic hydrogen, finding a smooth and gradual transformation from molecular to atomic phases. The discovery resolves long-standing debates on the nature of dense hydrogen and has implications for understanding giant gas planets.
Researchers used artificial neural networks to simulate hydrogen's phase transitions at high pressures and temperatures, challenging previous assumptions. The study suggests a smooth transition between insulating and metallic layers in giant gas planets, reconciling existing discrepancies between lab and modeling experiments.
A new study of rare meteorites shows that material from close to the Sun reached the outer solar system even after Jupiter cleared a gap in the disk of dust and gas. This finding challenges the long-held consensus theory on planet formation and provides insights into how planets form around other stars.
A team of astronomers identified the first direct evidence that groups of stars can tear apart their planet-forming discs, leaving them warped and with tilted rings. This discovery suggests exotic planets may form in inclined rings around multiple stars.
Two teams of astronomers used ALMA to discover a misaligned ring system in the planet-forming disk of GW Orionis, a triple star system. The findings suggest that either gravitational pull from the stars or a newborn planet caused the misalignment, highlighting the complex processes involved in planetary formation.
A team of researchers found evidence confirming theoretical predictions about gravitational interactions between multi-star systems, resulting in warped disks and misaligned rings. The discovery sheds light on the formation process of planets with extreme orbital angles.
A new machine learning algorithm confirms 50 new exoplanets, ranging from Neptunes to Earth-sized worlds, by distinguishing between real and false positives. The technique outperforms previous methods, can be automated, and improves with further training.
The Roman Space Telescope will detect hundreds of rogue planets using microlensing surveys, improving our understanding of planetary demographics. The mission aims to narrow down competing models of planetary formation by studying isolated planets with masses as small as Mars.
A Bayesian statistical framework analysis suggests that a positive result in the search for extrasolar biosignatures would greatly enhance our understanding of extraterrestrial life, potentially exceeding 105 inhabited planets. Conversely, a negative outcome would leave existing knowledge largely unchanged.
The Center for Matter at Atomic Pressures (CMAP) will investigate the properties of matter under high pressures, shedding light on the formation and evolution of planets. The research aims to uncover novel properties of materials and their potential applications.
Astronomers used Hubble Space Telescope to detect ozone in Earth's atmosphere, simulating conditions for future exoplanet observations. The study aims to develop models of Earth's spectrum as a template for categorizing atmospheres on extrasolar planets.
Astronomers have discovered a Saturn-sized planet orbiting a small, cool star 35 light-years from Earth using the astrometric technique. The planet has a mass comparable to Saturn and orbits its star every 221 days. This discovery is significant as it reveals that smaller planets can exist around cooler stars.
Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet, K2-25b, that is surprisingly dense for its size and age, defying current planet formation theories. The exoplanet, orbiting a young star in the Hyades cluster, has a mass of 25 Earth-masses and a size slightly smaller than Neptune.
Astronomers have discovered a lost planet, NGTS-11b, which orbits a star 620 light years away and is located five times closer to its sun than Earth. The discovery brings astronomers closer to finding cooler planets in the habitable 'Goldilocks zone' that can support liquid water.
New findings suggest mini-Neptunes may form as super-Earths with a rocky core surrounded by water in a supercritical state, challenging their previous classification as gas planets. Scientists propose that intense stellar irradiation causes a greenhouse effect, increasing the size of atmospheres and forming such planetary configurations.
A new study using supercomputer simulations reveals the scale of atmosphere loss during giant planetary collisions. Grazing impacts led to less atmospheric loss than direct hits, while higher speeds resulted in complete erosion of the atmosphere. The research provides insight into the evolution of planets and their atmospheres.
A Princeton astrophysicist has developed an AI model, SPOCK, to predict the stability of planetary systems. By combining simplified models with machine learning methods, researchers can quickly eliminate unstable configurations, reducing computational time by factors of 100,000.
Researchers have detected a system of super-Earths orbiting the nearby star Gliese 887, a red dwarf with conditions suitable for liquid water and potentially hosting life. The newly discovered planets are large enough to be rocky worlds and could retain their atmospheres due to the star's low activity.
The newly discovered GJ 887 system hosts multiple super-Earth sized planets, making it an ideal target for the James Webb Space Telescope. The system's proximity and relatively quiet red dwarf star reduce the risk of harmful solar flares, providing a promising opportunity to study exoplanet atmospheres.
Astronomers using TESS and Spitzer data report the discovery of AU Mic b, a Neptune-like planet that orbits its young star in under 10 days. The system offers a unique laboratory for studying planetary atmospheres and interactions with stars.
Astronomers have discovered 25 debris disks around young stars, revealing evidence of planets in nearly all cases. The high-resolution images were obtained using the Gemini Planet Imager and show a variety of shapes and sizes of stellar systems during their prime planet-forming years.
Researchers have developed a precise method for evaluating the behavior of mixtures under high pressure using X-ray scattering. The study reveals that hot hydrocarbon mixtures in ice giants can produce diamond rain, which generates an additional energy source.
Researchers found that early-formed rocky exoplanets are more likely to develop plate tectonics, a condition favorable to life emergence. This implies that life in the galaxy might have started earlier than previously thought, with planets formed later facing less chance of supporting life.
More than a quarter of exoplanets could be ocean worlds, harboring subsurface oceans and releasing energy similar to Europa and Enceladus. Scientists predict that these planets may be geologically active enough to support life, with some releasing more heat than others.
Researchers estimate that there may be as many as one Earth-like planet for every five Sun-like stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. This number could lead to new insights into planet formation and evolution theories, optimizing future exoplanet missions.
The study found that airborne dust can cool down the hotter dayside but also warm the night side, effectively widening the planet's habitable zone. This process is a negative climate feedback, postponing the loss of water and making the planet more habitable.
The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, found that there are more stars like the Sun than expected in these groups, increasing the chances of finding Earth-like planets. These 'magma ocean planets' are easier to detect near stars like the Sun and emit heat that can be observed with next-generation infrared telescopes.
Researchers have discovered the closest young brown dwarf with a disk that could potentially host planets, located just 332 light-years from Earth. The brown dwarf, named W1200-7845, is estimated to be 3.7 million years old and sits within a moving group of stars.
The Solar Ring mission aims to study the Sun and its influence on the inner heliosphere using a novel six-spacecraft configuration. The mission will provide unprecedented capabilities, including determining the photospheric vector magnetic field with unambiguity and resolving solar wind structures at multiple scales.
Astronomers found that stars in the cluster's periphery have planet-forming dust clouds, while those near the center lack them. The observations suggest that location plays a crucial role in planet formation, and massive stars may alter disk properties, making it harder for planets to form.
Researchers predict novel helium-methane compound He3CH4, stable under high pressure, with unique phase transitions upon heating. The compound's van der Waals interactions facilitate efficient heat transport, affecting a planet's interior and surface temperature.
Cornell University astronomers have developed a practical model to tease out climate clues for potentially habitable exoplanets. By analyzing the effects of planetary surface color and light from its host star, they can calculate a climate, providing valuable insights into the detectable spectra of Earth-like planets.
Astronomers have measured the stellar obliquity of TRAPPIST-1, a very low-mass star, and found it to be low and close to zero. This is the first detection of this effect for an exoplanet system with Earth-like planets, suggesting that planetary orbits may not be misaligned with star rotation.
A team of international researchers has provided a mineralogy lab study for water-rich exoplanets, revealing an unexpected new solid phase with silicon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The findings suggest that the distinction between water and rock layers in these planets may be 'fuzzy' at high pressure and temperature.
Experiments simulate conditions of Neptune-like exoplanets, suggesting mutual solubility between silica and water. This finding challenges traditional views on the distinction between rock and ice, with potential impact on the study of water-rich planets.
A team led by Professor Shigeru Ida from Tokyo Institute of Technology suggests that Uranus was struck by a small icy planet, which tipped the young planet over and left behind its unique moon system. This model reproduces the current configuration of Uranus' satellites and may help explain other icy planets' configurations.
Researchers found that a small presence of sulfur in the atmosphere can lead to three times more haze particles, primarily organic sulfur products. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about sulfur's role in exoplanet atmospheres and highlights the importance of caution when interpreting spectroscopic data.
Cornell University astronomers created five models representing key points in Earth's evolution to aid the search for exo-Earths. These templates enable the identification of potential biospheres on distant planets with characteristics similar to our own, using powerful telescopes like NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Researchers have designed a new camera for hypertelescopes to capture multiple stars at once, enabling high-resolution images of planets, pulsars, and galaxies. The enhanced design could reveal details of extremely small objects like the Crab pulsar, revolutionizing exoplanetary research.
New research suggests that some 'cotton candy' exoplanets could have rings, challenging current ideas about their low densities. The discovery proposal, led by Anthony Piro and Shreyas Vissapragada, simulates how ringed exoplanets would appear to astronomers using high-precision instruments.
Astronomers have discovered a rare opportunity to study the evolution of a planetary system, with the DS Tuc binary system providing insights into how planets form without being heavily impacted by external forces. The findings suggest that the planet DS Tuc Ab formed through relatively calm processes.
Astronomers will use transmission spectroscopy and phase curves to observe the atmospheres of seven rocky planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system. The goal is to determine if these planets have atmospheres and what they're made of, which could help find out if life as we know it could survive on these distant worlds.
A 'cold Neptune' and two temperate super-Earths, GJ180d and GJ229Ac, have been discovered orbiting nearby red dwarf stars, offering a chance to study potentially habitable worlds. The planets were found using the radial velocity method and offer insights into exoplanet formation and evolution.
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered its first Earth-size planet in its star's habitable zone, TOI 700 d. The planet orbits a small, cool M dwarf star located just over 100 light-years away and is thought to be rocky with surface temperatures suitable for liquid water.
Researchers found a massive gas disk around the 40-million-year-old star 49 Ceti, contradicting conventional planet formation predictions. The discovery raises questions about the origin of the gas and its impact on planetary composition.
The James Webb Space Telescope will study the smallest, faintest residents of NGC 1333, distinguishing between objects that form like stars and those that form like planets. The team aims to identify cluster members as puny as Jupiter for the first time ever, shedding light on their origins and the star formation process.
The study found that while water vapour is common in exoplanet atmospheres, its amounts are surprisingly lower than expected. The results also suggest a depletion of oxygen relative to other elements and provide clues into how these exoplanets may have formed without substantial accretion of ice.
Researchers found that particles in microgravity develop strong electrical charges and stick together, forming large aggregates. This process helps explain how asteroids and planets form in outer space. The study also identifies new approaches for controlling fine particle aggregation in industrial processing.
Researchers find no correlation between a gas giant planet's composition and its host star's heavy element content, contradicting previous theories on planetary formation. The authors suggest other factors, such as location in the disk or distance from neighbors, may be contributing to this discrepancy.
The German Research Foundation funds a joint Collaborative Research Center between Freie Universität Berlin and Münster University to investigate the formation of terrestrial planets. The center aims to ascertain conditions necessary for life-sustaining planets like Earth and develop a comprehensive model by 2023.
According to latest theories, planets could be formed even in harsh environments around a black hole, with tens of thousands of Earth-like planets possible within 10 light-years of a massive black hole. This finding opens up new possibilities for astronomy and challenges current understanding of planet formation.
A Northwestern University study combines 3D climate modeling with chemistry to explore the habitability of planets around M dwarf stars. The research finds that only planets orbiting active stars lose significant water to vaporization, making them less likely to sustain life.
Astronomers refine search for potentially habitable planets by modeling stellar activity and its effect on planetary magnetic fields. Researchers estimate that some exoplanets could lose their atmospheres in as little as 100 million years due to intense radiation from their stars.