Articles tagged with Exoplanets
Researchers have discovered water vapor in the disc around a young star exactly where planets are forming. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) enabled detailed images and spatially resolved observations, revealing three times as much water as Earth's oceans in the inner disc of the HL Tauri star.
The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, tested the future LIFE mission's capabilities on real spectra using data from NASA's Aqua Earth observation satellite. It demonstrated that a space telescope like LIFE could detect signs of a temperate, habitable world on Earth-like exoplanets.
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.
Research suggests that planetary migration is the key to explaining the mysterious gap in the size distribution of super-Earths. Simulations show that sub-Neptunes' evolution contributes to the observed radius valley, while rocky planets 'shrink' by losing their atmosphere.
Researchers have identified a CO-rich atmosphere on exoplanets that could support life. The study reveals a 'gap' in atmospheric conditions where CO levels are higher than expected, indicating potential habitability.
Researchers from Ohio State University tested upcoming telescopes' ability to detect chemical traces of oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane and water on 10 rocky exoplanets. The study found that two nearby worlds, Proxima Centauri b and GJ 887 b, are highly adept at detecting biosignatures with advanced telescopes.
Researchers have discovered a multi-planet system that provides a rare glimpse into the formation of planets around a young star. The system consists of six confirmed planets and potentially a seventh, all forming under similar conditions at an age of just 700 million years.
Astronomers have discovered a small, cold exoplanet with an orbital period of 146 days, providing insight into planetary formation and evolution. The planet, HD88986b, is about twice the size of Earth and orbits a star similar to the Sun.
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.
Researchers detected complex structure with three concentric rings in the innermost region of the disk, rich in dust and minerals. The discovery suggests two planets may be forming within the gaps, with masses similar to Jupiter.
Researchers have devised a new method to identify habitable planets and potentially inhabited planets by comparing atmospheric CO2 levels, which suggests the presence of liquid water. This signature can be detected with current telescopes, providing a path to identify life on exoplanets.
Scientists propose searching for depleted carbon dioxide in planetary atmospheres as a sign of liquid water and potentially life on other planets. A study suggests that low carbon abundance relative to neighboring planets could indicate habitability.
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.
Researchers have observed the atmospheres of seven hot Jupiters using NASA's CUTE spacecraft, revealing that some planets lose significant gas while others remain unchanged. The findings suggest a combination of planetary size and stellar activity plays a role in atmospheric escape. CUTE's precise measurements provide valuable insights...
New research from the Max Planck Institute challenges previous claims of giant exomoons around Kepler-1625b and Kepler-1708b. The study uses a computer algorithm to analyze observations, finding that 'planet-only' interpretations are more conclusive than initially thought.
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.
Researchers created lab-made haze to understand how it affects observations of distant planets, which could lead to misinterpretations of global temperatures and biological activity. The new data offers a better understanding of exoplanet atmospheres, helping scientists focus on specific planets and improve their search for life.
The James Webb Space Telescope observed the exoplanet WASP-80 b and detected methane gas and water vapor in its atmosphere. This is the first detection of methane in an exoplanet's atmosphere using space-based spectroscopy.
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.
The James Webb Space Telescope reveals the presence of water vapour, sulfur dioxide, and silicate sand clouds in the atmosphere of WASP-107b. The discovery sheds light on the dynamic atmosphere and potential temperature variations that enable these cloud formations.
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected distinct neon signatures in the dusty disk surrounding the young Sun-like star SZ Chamaelontis, indicating a change in high-energy radiation that reaches the disk and limits planet formation time. This difference points to a variable wind absorbing UV light and leaving X-rays to pummel the disk.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that comets can deliver intact prebiotic molecules to planets in 'peas in a pod' systems, which are promising places to search for life outside our Solar System.
A recent study by Professor Amri Wandel reveals that subglacial liquid water can extend the Habitable Zone for tidally locked planets and even broaden its limits. This discovery presents opportunities for searching for extraterrestrial life on a diverse range of exoplanets.
A team of researchers has detected ammonia isotopologues in the atmosphere of a cold brown dwarf, providing new clues to understanding gas giant formation. The ratio of two isotopologues reveals that the exoplanet formed through gravitational collapse, challenging traditional theories.
Researchers analyzed Earth's evolution over the past 540 million years, finding that telescopes could better detect signs of life on exoplanets with a similar atmospheric composition to ancient Earth. The study suggests that planets resembling Phanerozoic Earth would have a stronger light fingerprint, making them more promising targets...
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.
Researchers used the NASA Exoplanet Archive and planetary system simulations to find that a drift rate of 53 nHz is sufficient in 99% of known-exoplanet cases. This threshold drops to 0.44 nHz for stars without known planets, reducing computing time and boosting efficiency for future SETI campaigns.
A new study reveals that magma oceans on rocky exoplanets can affect their size, evolutionary path, and mantle structure. The research found that these ocean's compressible nature can make lava-rich planets denser than solid planets of similar size.
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of K2-18 b, an exoplanet with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and potential for a water ocean surface. The findings support the hypothesis that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, making it a promising environment to search for life.
Researchers from University of New Mexico and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have detected two long-period giant planets orbiting an early K dwarf star. The exoplanets, TOI-4600 b and c, have orbital periods of 82.69 days and 482.82 days, respectively, making them the longest-period planets found by TESS to date.
Researchers have confirmed the presence of chromium hydride in the atmosphere of hot Jupiter exoplanet WASP-31b using high-resolution spectral observations. This detection opens the possibility of using chromium hydride as a 'thermometer' to determine the temperature and other characteristics of exoplanets.
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'.
Researchers used a new code to test the capabilities of future giant telescopes, which could help identify potentially habitable planets. The study found that ELT and TMT can make high-resolution observations of brown dwarfs and exoplanets over a single rotation, while GMT's instruments require multiple rounds.
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.
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.
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected water vapor in the inner disk of PDS 70, a star with both an inner and outer disk of gas and dust. This discovery suggests that rocky planets may form with water available to them from the beginning.
Researchers from Ohio State University found that some low-mass stars have unexpectedly strong surface magnetic fields, which could intensify their radiation for billions of years. This discovery challenges current models of stellar evolution and has important implications for the search for life on other planets.
The study found that adding CO2 to temperate terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres intensifies warming in non-irradiated regions, altering global circulation patterns. This effect is seen on both Earth and the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1e, with implications for habitability and climate research.
Scientists have discovered a young exoplanet, MWC 758c, that may be generating the spiral arms in its infant planetary system. The planet's massive size is estimated to be at least twice the mass of Jupiter, yet it was invisible to other telescopes due to its reddish color, which makes it more difficult to detect.
Scientists using ALMA have discovered the most compelling chemical evidence to date of protoplanet formation. The discovery provides an alternate method for detecting and characterizing protoplanets, particularly those embedded in their parental circumstellar disks.
A newly discovered exoplanet, LP 890-9c, is providing important insights into conditions at the inner edge of a star's habitable zone. The team's models detail differences in chemical signatures generated by rocky planets near this boundary, based on variables including size, mass, and surface temperature.
Researchers discovered the abundance of rock-forming elements in WASP-76 b's atmosphere, which matches its host star and our own Sun closely. The team found that certain elements are depleted due to temperature conditions, providing insight into the sensitivity of giant planet atmospheres.
Astronomers using the Gemini North telescope have detected 11 rock-forming elements in the atmosphere of WASP-76b, a Jupiter-like exoplanet. The presence and relative amounts of these elements provide key insights into giant gas planet formation and may challenge our understanding of how planets like Mercury and Earth formed.
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.
Scientists have discovered that stagnant lid tectonics, not plate tectonics, existed on early Earth, releasing heat and forming continents. This finding contradicts previous assumptions about the role of mobile plate tectonics in life's emergence, suggesting an alternative mechanism was present.
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 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.
The CHEOPS satellite has successfully detected two elusive exoplanets, TOI 5678 b and HIP 9618 c, using its precise measurements. The planets have sizes similar to Neptune and Earth radii, respectively, with orbital periods of 48 days and 52.5 days.
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.
A team of astrophysicists and citizen scientists have identified three potentially habitable exoplanets discovered during NASA's Kepler space telescope's final days of operation. The planets, including K2-416 b and K2-417 b, are between the size of Earth and Neptune and orbit their stars closely.
New analysis reveals that two-thirds of planets around small stars could be sterilized by tidal forces, leaving one-third with potentially habitable zones. Hundreds of millions of promising targets have been identified for future studies.
New research from Rice University suggests that ancient microorganisms helped cause massive volcanic events by facilitating the precipitation of minerals in banded iron formations. The study provides insight into processes that could produce habitable exoplanets and reframes scientists' understanding of Earth's early history.
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 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 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.
Astronomers have discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet, LP 791-18 d, which orbits a small red dwarf star in the constellation Crater. The planet may experience volcanic flare-ups as frequently as Jupiter's moon Io, potentially making it habitable for life. However, more research is needed to confirm its atmosphere, water content, and hab...
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-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.