Articles tagged with Exoplanets
Researchers found amino acids are consistently more diverse and evenly distributed in biological samples than abiotic ones, while fatty acids show the opposite pattern. This fundamental principle of life may be detectable in data collected by space missions.
Scientists have measured the atmosphere of the mini-Neptune, revealing a heavy composition with water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. The findings suggest that both planets formed far from their host star, then were drawn inward through a gradual process, preserving their atmospheres.
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 found massive amounts of ammonia gas expected but less than anticipated, and instead discovered thick patchy water-ice clouds on the exoplanet. The discovery sheds light on the limits of current models for studying exoplanet atmospheres.
Scientists found that habitable planets must have sufficient water to support a geologic carbon cycle, which stabilizes surface temperatures. Arid planets in the habitable zone are unlikely to be good candidates for life due to carbon cycle disruption, which can lead to runaway warming.
Scientists at MIT have developed a new wave model called PlanetWaves that predicts how waves will behave on planetary bodies with different liquids, atmospheres, and gravity. The model reveals that gentle winds can create massive waves on Titan, while hurricane-force winds barely move the surface of lakes on exoplanet 55-Cancri e.
An international team maps the climate of rocky exoplanets like TRAPPIST-1b and c for the first time, ruling out dense atmospheres due to extreme temperatures. The study uses James Webb Space Telescope observations to determine surface temperatures on both day and night sides.
The Paranal solar ESPRESSO Telescope (PoET) has made its first observations, aiming to understand how stellar activity affects the detection of exoplanets. PoET uses the Sun's light to analyze distant star spectra and remove 'noise' that can mask planetary signals.
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.
Researchers have discovered that a giant planet, WASP-189b, echoes the composition of its host star, providing direct evidence for a foundational concept in astrobiology. The team's findings offer insights into how exoplanets form and evolve, and open new avenues for studying exoplanet atmospheres.
The discovery of two planets forming in the disc around young star WISPIT 2 suggests that the system could resemble a young Solar System. The two gas giants, WISPIT 2b and WISPIT 2c, are found in clear gaps within the disc of dust and gas, indicating that more planets may be currently forming.
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.
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 astronomers has discovered a planetary system with four planets that breaks the conventional pattern of rocky inner worlds and gaseous outer planets. The system, LHS 1903, features a rocky outer world, defying expectations, which may have formed in a gas-depleted environment.
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.
Astronomers may need to look beyond the traditional habitable zone for liquid water and potentially life-friendly conditions. A new study suggests that tidally locked worlds, even those orbiting closer to cool M- and K-dwarf stars than previously thought, could sustain liquid water on their night side.
Deep magma oceans beneath rocky exoplanets called super-earths could generate powerful magnetic fields to protect against harmful radiation. This suggests that these planets might be more hospitable for life beyond our solar system.
A team of researchers led by Alian Wang has discovered the isotopic geochemical consequences of Martian dust activities. The study reveals that dust-induced electric discharges can lead to various oxidized chemicals, including volatile chlorine species, activated oxides, and airborne carbonates.
Researchers have found a rare snapshot of worlds in the process of transforming into super-Earths and sub-Neptunes, the galaxy's most common planetary types. The discovery provides an unprecedented glimpse into the turbulent lives of young worlds, shedding light on their formation.
Scientists observe violent collisions around young star Fomalhaut, detecting the aftermath of two powerful collisions over a 20-year period. The collided objects are estimated to be at least 60 kilometers across and may have formed planets.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured a cosmic fender bender, revealing two luminous clouds of debris from violent collisions between space rocks. The discovery offers insights into planet formation and asteroid composition, shedding light on the structure of asteroids crucial for planetary defense programs.
Researchers reanalyze Cassini mission data to find that Titan's interior is more icy and slushy than previously thought, with implications for the search for life on Titan. The new findings suggest a slushy layer instead of an ocean, which could facilitate the growth of simple organisms.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Scientists at UNIGE have developed a high-precision spectrograph called RISTRETTO to analyze light from the exoplanet Proxima b. The instrument can detect signs of oxygen or water in its atmosphere, similar to Earth.
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 SPHERE instrument has produced an unprecedented gallery of debris disks in exoplanetary systems, allowing for deductions of smaller bodies. These observations provide a glimpse of the earliest history of the solar system, with small bodies serving as remnants from planetesimals that did not evolve into larger planets.
Astronomers have discovered a stellar companion near a star with hot dust, offering a complex laboratory to understand the origin and composition of this phenomenon. This breakthrough builds on decades of technological leadership in interferometry, enabling scientists to study the interaction between the companion and the dust.
Astronomers at UCL and the University of Warwick discovered that aging stars are destroying giant planets orbiting closest to them. The researchers analyzed nearly half a million stars and found that planets were less likely to occur around stars that had expanded and cooled enough to be classed as red giants.
Researchers developed a new spectral shaper technology that can precisely control 10,000 individual lines of light, improving signal fidelity and enabling faster data transfer in various fields. This advancement could aid in the detection of Earth-like planets by making tiny stellar wobbles easier to measure.
Experimental tests demonstrate that interactions between magma oceans and primitive atmospheres during early years can produce significant amounts of water. This process has major implications for the physical and chemical properties of planets' interiors, with potential effects on core development and atmospheric composition.
A team led by UMD astronomers has created the first three-dimensional temperature map of a planet orbiting another star, revealing distinct temperature zones and water vapor breakdown. The new technique lays the groundwork for future explorations of faraway planets.
Researchers have created the first 3D map of a planet orbiting another star, highlighting distinct temperature zones on WASP-18b. The technique allows for atmospheric variations to be mapped, providing insights into exoplanet temperatures and composition.
Researchers have created a new model that shows how planet formation timing influences planetary composition and density. The study suggests that older, rocky planets are less dense than younger ones due to the varying lifetimes of stars.
Researchers seek to understand the origin of eccentric warm Jupiters, which are thought to have complex formation processes. Building on precise data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, scientists aim to develop new models and update existing ones to shed light on these planetary outliers.
The Programmable Liquid-crystal Active Coronagraphic Imager for the DAG telescope (PLACID) will improve detection and direct imaging of exoplanets using liquid crystals. It can adapt to complex mask configurations, enabling direct imaging of circumbinary planets and proto-planetary discs.
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.
Researchers found that sub-Neptunes, such as K2-18b, have limited water content due to chemical interactions between magma oceans and atmospheres. The study's results suggest that water-rich exoplanets may be less common than previously thought.
Planets with 10% carbon dioxide could maintain a biosphere for 4.2 billion years, while those with 1% carbon dioxide last only 3.1 billion years. These conditions make the existence of technological alien life unlikely, with estimated lifetimes ranging from 280,000 to millions of years.
Astronomers discovered a greedy white dwarf star consuming its closest celestial companion at an unprecedented rate. The study found that the super-dense white dwarf is burning brightly due to the mass transfer between the two stars, potentially leading to a massive explosion visible from Earth.
Astronomers used Gemini South and James Webb Space Telescope to detect silane in ancient brown dwarf's atmosphere, revealing how primordial formation impacts planet atmospheres. The discovery confirms understanding of gas giant cloud formation and offers insight into the composition of distant worlds.
Researchers at the Astrobiology Center and University of Texas at San Antonio successfully detected hydrogen emission lines from AB Aurigae b using the VLT/MUSE. The detection is interpreted as evidence of mass accretion from the circumplanetary disk onto the protoplanet.
The Exoplanet Travel Bureau's poster campaign successfully promoted exoplanets as vacation destinations by leveraging retro-style posters, virtual tours, and coloring books. The synergy between artists and scientists in this campaign revealed that scientists also make imaginative leaps to turn abstract data into concrete planet concepts.
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.
Astronomers have devised a method to map the spottiness of distant stars using observations from NASA missions, improving understanding of planetary atmospheres and potential habitability. The new model, called StarryStarryProcess, can help discover more about exoplanet properties.
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...
Researchers propose that Jupiter-sized exoplanets may accumulate and collapse into detectable black holes due to dark matter. This process could potentially generate multiple black holes in a single exoplanet's lifetime, making exoplanet surveys a promising method for hunting superheavy dark matter particles.
Isabel Angelo will refine and expand machine learning-driven pipelines for detecting exoplanets, focusing on subtle or unconventional candidates. Her work aims to uncover rare or unexpected planetary systems using cutting-edge AI and astrophysical modeling.
A Northwestern University study discovered that organic matter enhances soil's ability to retain water, even in desert-like conditions. Carbohydrates form bridges between organic molecules and soil minerals, locking in moisture that would otherwise evaporate.
A study by researchers at UC Santa Barbara, Yale University and others found that a third of young stars have misaligned rotational axes with their protoplanetary disks. This challenges centuries-old assumptions about the alignment of stars and planets in our solar system and suggests that some stars may be born tilted.
Researchers at Cornell University have discovered that hot Jupiter exoplanets can exhibit polarizing dust interactions, similar to Earth's atmospheric phenomena. Silicate crystals in these exoplanets' atmospheres may align due to high-speed winds, producing observable effects like sun dogs.
A new paper introduces a simple theoretical framework to describe the evolution of hot rocky exoplanets, known as 'lava planets'. The study predicts two end-member evolutionary states: fully molten interior and mostly solid interior. These predictions will be tested with upcoming observations from the James Webb Space Telescope.
A team of researchers has discovered a fifth planet in the L 98-59 planetary system, confirming its habitable zone and potential for liquid water. The planets' sizes and masses have been determined with unprecedented precision using data from space telescopes and high-precision instruments.