Articles tagged with Exoplanets
The international team released a large dataset of exoplanet-detecting observations using the radial velocity method, identifying over 100 potential planets, including one orbiting the fourth-closest star to our Solar System. The data will enable astronomers around the globe to search for new planets and follow up on existing signals.
Researchers at Yale University developed a novel approach to detect exoplanets by analyzing signal fluctuations in star spectral intensity. By studying all signal information together, they can refine the search for Earth-like planets and improve traditional methods.
A team of researchers from the University of Toronto has developed a novel machine learning approach to determine whether planetary systems are stable or not. This method is 1,000 times faster than traditional methods and can provide valuable information about exoplanets, including their mass and orbital eccentricity.
Scientists successfully measured the orbital period of K2-3d with high precision, enabling precise predictions of future transits. This improved forecast accuracy paves the way for searching for extraterrestrial life in the atmosphere of the planet.
A team of OU researchers collaborated with citizen scientists to discover a rare circumstellar disk, the oldest of its kind, around a red dwarf star. The discovery provides insights into why M dwarf disks appear so rare and may hold clues about the possibility of extrasolar planets.
A team of citizen scientists and professional astronomers have discovered an unusual exoplanet hunting ground, finding the oldest known circumstellar disk orbiting a young star. The discovery, led by Steven Silverberg, reveals a red dwarf star with a warm disk that has sustained its disk for an exceptionally long time.
Researchers at Ibaraki University used ALMA to observe the disk around TW Hydrae, finding multiple gaps that match theoretical predictions for planet formation. The team estimates a massive, icy giant planet similar in size to Neptune, with a mass likely more than that of Neptune.
Gros has investigated the possibility of bringing life to planets with temporary habitability, proposing an automated gene laboratory on board a probe. The Genesis mission could be achieved within decades with interstellar unmanned micro spacecraft, potentially allowing for the development of complex life forms.
Astronomers confirm 104 exoplanets outside our solar system using NASA's Kepler spacecraft on its K2 mission. The discoveries include a planetary system with four promising rocky planets orbiting the M dwarf star K2-72.
Researchers from KU Leuven show that surface composition and atmosphere interaction on exoplanets affect their temperature and habitability. A well-functioning 'air conditioning' system can make even planets with permanent day and night sides potentially habitable.
Recent exoplanet discoveries by NSF-supported graduate researchers expand our understanding of how planets form and orbit stars. These breakthroughs include the detection of a unique planet in a triple-star system, one of the youngest fully formed exoplanets ever discovered.
Researchers directly detected a gas giant planet with a wide orbit in the young triple star system HD 131399, challenging existing knowledge about exoplanet detection. The unusual arrangement of the three stars and the planet's size, containing water and methane, may have formed through interactions between planets or binary stars.
Astronomers have discovered a planet in a unique position between three stars, experiencing constant daylight or triple sunrises and sunsets. The planet, HD 131399Ab, is one of the youngest exoplanets discovered to date and has a wide orbit within a multi-star system.
Researchers use SPHERE instrument to image first planet in wide orbit inside a triple-star system, suggesting such systems may be more common than thought. The planet, HD 131399Ab, has an unstable orbit and is estimated to be around 16 million years old, making it one of the youngest exoplanets discovered.
Researchers suggest that hot, rocky planets could alter their bulk composition, density, and internal structure due to steam atmosphere loss. This process may have implications for understanding the early Earth's evolution and character.
A team of Caltech-led researchers has discovered the youngest fully-formed exoplanet ever detected, K2-33b, which orbits a young star at 5 to 10 million years old. The planet's proximity to its star and large size suggest it may have formed quickly or challenged the migration theory.
Astronomers have discovered a newborn exoplanet, K2-33b, which is five-10 million years old and orbits its star once every five days. The discovery provides an extraordinary snapshot of the planet formation process, allowing researchers to study how planets form and develop.
Astronomers at Lund University propose that Planet 9, a mysterious object in our solar system, may be an exoplanet captured by the sun. The study suggests that the sun stole the planet from its original star during a close encounter.
A new approach aims to identify planets orbiting nearby stars that support life by focusing on creating a comprehensive list of molecules in their atmospheres. Researchers have searched for thousands of potentially biogenic gas molecules, sparking new research into identifying larger molecules and their potential as signs of life.
A new optical technology developed by Russian physicists can significantly improve the detection of exoplanets, allowing for direct observation of their images. The 'smoothed' light technique uses adaptive optics to remove atmospheric distortions, enabling telescopes to resolve the faint signals of Earth-type planets.
A Penn State-led research group has been selected by NASA to build a new instrument to detect planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. The NEID instrument will use the tiny gravitational tug of planets on their stars to discover and measure the orbits of rocky planets with liquid water.
Scientists have observed an exoplanet named HD 80606 b that orbits its star at incredible distances, experiencing scorching temperatures and then plummeting to extremely cold temperatures as it moves away. This unique system challenges existing theories on the formation of hot Jupiters and may require alternative explanations.
Astronomers at the University of Arizona have taken the first direct, time-resolved images of an exoplanet using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The young exoplanet, 2M1207b, has a patchy cloud pattern and rotates twice as fast as Earth.
The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) will aid researchers in unraveling the secrets of the universe by studying dark energy and dark matter. The observatory will discover new worlds outside our solar system and advance the search for life-suitable planets.
Astronomers have measured the rotation rate of a massive exoplanet using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, revealing patchy and colorless cloud layers. The super-Jupiter completes one rotation every 10 hours, similar to Jupiter, with temperatures reaching 2,200-2,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Scientists have finally shed light on the atmospheres of a group of planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. A team of experts analyzed observations from NASA and ESA telescopes, revealing that water was hidden by haze and cloud on some hot-Jupiter exoplanets.
Astronomers have studied ten hot Jupiter-sized exoplanets in detail using Hubble and Spitzer telescopes. The results show that planetary atmospheres are more diverse than expected, with some planets containing clouds and haze that hide water from view. This solves the mystery of why some exoplanets appear to have less water than expected.
A newly discovered exoplanet, HD 106906 b, may have been violently ejected from its birthplace close to its star due to a recent gravitational disturbance. The planet is surrounded by a large dust ring or shroud, which could be evidence of the violent episode.
The Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC) technology has demonstrated improved sensitivity over a broader spectral range, making it a stronger contender for a future astrophysics mission. The instrument will enable spectroscopy to study exoplanet atmospheres and identify signs of life.
Researchers found that a fractal hydrocarbon haze on early Earth could have resulted in a moderate, possibly habitable average global temperature. The haze also would have absorbed ultraviolet light, shielding the planet from deadly radiation.
The discovery of GJ 1132b, an Earth-size exoplanet located just 39 light-years away from our Solar System, is a significant milestone in the search for alien life. The planet's proximity to its star and size make it an ideal laboratory for studying small, potentially livable worlds.
Scientists have discovered a new exoplanet, GJ 1132b, that is rocky and Earth-sized, orbiting a small star just 39 light-years from Earth. The planet's surface temperature is estimated to be around 500 degrees Fahrenheit, making it uninhabitable for life as we know it.
Scientists have simulated 3D exotic clouds on GJ1214b, an exoplanet with a flat spectrum that indicates high-altitude clouds or haze in its atmosphere. The clouds could be of salt and are thought to form deep in the atmosphere before rising into the upper atmosphere.
Scientists from KU Leuven discovered that two of three possible climates on rocky exoplanets are potentially habitable. The 'air conditioning system' keeps surface temperatures within the habitable range, despite permanent day and night sides. This finding provides valuable input for future space missions.
Research suggests oxygen in atmospheres of habitable extrasolar planets might not necessarily come from biological processes, potentially expanding the search for life. Scientists have proposed alternative explanations for oxygen formation, including abiotic reactions on planetary surfaces.
Astronomers have discovered a young, Jupiter-like exoplanet that provides insights into planetary origins. The Gemini Planet Imager revealed 51 Eridani b, which is still warm and luminous from its formation, with conditions that depend on whether it formed slowly or suddenly.
Astronomers using Gemini Observatory's new Planet Imager have probed a newly discovered world in unprecedented detail. The planet, 51 Eridani b, is about two times the mass of Jupiter and features a Solar System-like atmosphere with methane detection.
The Gemini Planet Imager has made its first exoplanet discovery, revealing a planet that may be the lowest-mass exoplanet ever directly imaged. Weighing twice as much as Jupiter, this finding provides insights into how our solar system was formed and paves the way for further research.
The team discovered a Jupiter-like planet, called 51 Eridani b, about twice the size of Jupiter and featuring the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet. The discovery sheds light on how planets formed around our sun and could unlock secrets of gas giants' planetary systems.
A team of researchers has discovered a Jupiter-like planet, 51 Eridani b, within a young system that could provide new understanding of how planets formed around our sun. The planet shows the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet, yielding clues about its formation.
Scientists have discovered a Jupiter-like planet in the young system 51 Eridani b, featuring the strongest atmospheric methane signal ever detected. The exoplanet's unique characteristics hint at its rapid formation process, offering insights into solar system evolution.
A team of astronomers has discovered a Jupiter-like exoplanet called 51 Eridani b, which shows the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet. The new planet is the faintest exoplanet on record and provides clues about how planets formed around the sun.
Scientists have discovered a young Jupiter-like exoplanet, 51 Eridani b, with the strongest methane signature ever detected in an alien planet's atmosphere. The exoplanet is roughly twice the mass of Jupiter and offers insights into planet formation and the early stages of star development.
The newly discovered exoplanet, 51 Eridani b, is a young Jupiter-like planet with the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet. Its mass and atmospheric composition suggest that it formed in a similar way to Jupiter in its infancy.
Astronomers confirm exoplanet orbiting far from its central star using gravitational microlensing, opening new discovery space for long-period orbits. The Uranus-sized planet is about 370 million miles from its parent star, with a host star about 70% as massive as our Sun.
Astronomers have discovered a powerful aurora on a brown dwarf, 10,000 times more powerful than any seen before. The discovery reveals a major difference in magnetic activity between low-mass stars and planets.
A new study has precisely measured the ages of 33 Kepler stars with solar-like oscillations, revealing that even stars older than 11 billion years have Earth-like planets. The research uses asteroseismology to analyze tiny variations in starlight and provides a large sample for studying galactic archeology.
Astronomers have discovered a massive cloud of hydrogen, dubbed 'The Behemoth,' evaporating from a warm Neptune-sized planet orbiting a nearby star. The phenomenon may help explain the existence of Hot Super-Earths and provide insights into how planets lose their outer layers.
Researchers discover a giant cloud of hydrogen gas being burnt off from the atmosphere of GJ 436b, an exoplanet orbiting a warm red dwarf star. The cloud forms a comet-like tail as ultraviolet light pushes hydrogen into spiral motion, with 1000 metric tonnes being lost every second.
A team of scientists has discovered a massive cloud of hydrogen escaping from the atmosphere of GJ436b, a Neptune-sized exoplanet located 33 light years away. This phenomenon may help explain the formation of hot and rocky 'super-earths' and potentially detect extrasolar oceans.
Astronomers have successfully commissioned a new type of optic that can reveal the image of an exoplanet next to its parent star. The vector-APP coronagraph uses advanced liquid crystal technology to cancel out starlight, allowing fainter planets to be imaged.
The discovery of a stratosphere on WASP-33b offers insights into the planet's composition and formation. The presence of titanium oxide in the atmosphere indicates temperature inversion, similar to Earth's ozone layer.
A team of UW graduate students has found a way to detect volcanic activity in the atmospheres of exoplanets during their transits. This could help choose worlds to study for possible life and determine if they are habitable. Volcanism regulates planetary temperatures, making it a key element in habitability.
A team of astronomers found that 74 Earth-sized exoplanets orbit their stars in circular patterns, contrary to expectations. This discovery suggests that small planets may maintain stable climates year-round, making them more hospitable to life.
Researchers discovered daily weather cycles on six exoplanets, with cloudy mornings and hot afternoons, using sensitive Kepler observations. The study found that winds transport clouds to the day side, heating them up and dissipating them, resulting in clear skies during the afternoon.
The LEECH exoplanets survey has obtained new images of HR 8799, a 30-million-year-old star with four known giant planets. The team found that the system likely consists of multiple double resonances, indicating gravitational interactions between the planets.
A team of international scientists has created a colorful catalog of reflection signatures from various Earth life forms to aid in the search for extraterrestrial life. The database features 137 diverse life forms, including extremophiles from extreme environments, which can help astronomers spot potential biosignatures on exoplanets.
Astronomers have discovered a star that is 11.2 billion years old and has at least five Earth-size planets, revealing that planetary formation occurred throughout the universe's history. The system, Kepler-444, consists of five planets with sizes between Mercury and Venus, orbiting a smaller star than our sun.
Astronomers have discovered a star with three planets only slightly larger than Earth, one of which orbits in the habitable zone where surface temperatures could be moderate enough for liquid water and life to exist. The study found that these planets are about 2.1, 1.7, and 1.5 times the size of Earth.
A study suggests that exoplanets are more likely to have liquid water and be habitable due to their rotation speed, which can create a day-night cycle. This finding challenges the traditional assumption that all exoplanets exhibit synchronous rotation, potentially increasing their ability to develop life.