Articles tagged with Extrasolar Gas Giants
A new study led by the University of Michigan rules out planets with the mass of Jupiter or larger in the 70 Oph AB binary system, but finds that smaller worlds may still exist within the habitable zone. The research achieved record-setting sensitivity for the system and opens the door for future studies of smaller planets.
A team of astronomers discovered water, methane, and ammonia in HATS-6 b's atmosphere, challenging our understanding of giant planet formation. The planet's unexpected temperature suggests cloud and haze may be responsible, raising questions about the reliability of atmospheric analysis.
The Roman Space Telescope will discover new exoplanets using the Coronagraph Instrument, which combines coronagraphs and adaptive optics for improved contrast ratios. The telescope will also investigate the history of the universe and the contributions of dark matter and dark energy.
The discovery of an exomoon in the CD-35 2722 system, orbiting a brown dwarf rather than a planet, challenges our understanding of planetary objects. The exosatellite is estimated to be at least as massive as Jupiter and orbits a highly massive companion, blurring the lines between stars, planets, and moons.
Astronomers have discovered a third planet, Beta Pictoris d, in the system, which is 100 times fainter than Beta Pictoris b and 2.4 times more massive than Jupiter. The planet's wide orbit and extreme faintness make its detection a significant achievement.
The study uses the upgraded GRAVITY+ instrument to measure the carbon isotope ratio in Beta Pic B's atmosphere, but finds inconsistent results that challenge its interpretation. The findings suggest that the planet may have formed outside the snowline, where CO was present as ice, rather than gas.
Astronomers discovered a giant planet orbiting a dead star, WD1856b, and used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to analyze its atmosphere. The study found the planet migrated toward its dead companion billions of years after the star died, surviving destruction through extreme heat.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first direct evidence of salt clouds in a cold object's atmosphere, surrounding the 'Pink Planet' GJ504b. The discovery provides insights into the composition and formation of this ancient, rosy-hazed world, which is too faint for ground-based telescopes.
Astronomers at Caltech IPAC have settled on a leading hypothesis for the unusual hot spot on CoRoT-2 b, a hot Jupiter that defies previous assumptions about its behavior. The planet's slow rotation speed, which is equivalent to about three Earth days per orbit, suggests it is not tidally locked to its host star.
Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope to measure how star light absorption changes as WASP-121 b rotates, probing its atmosphere longitude by longitude. The data indicate that hot winds heat the evening terminator region, causing it to absorb more stellar radiation and expand.
Researchers measured wind speeds on seven hot, Jupiter-like exoplanets and found that magnetic fields govern the winds. The team's findings provide the strongest evidence yet of magnetism on planets outside our Solar System.
Researchers use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to analyze light passing through a distant, temperate gas giant planet's atmosphere, revealing methane and potentially other gases. The study provides insights into planetary formation and evolution, and could improve understanding of Earth's atmosphere.
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.
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 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 researchers used spectral data from the James Webb Space Telescope to study the HR 8799 star system, finding clear evidence of sulfur on three gas giant planets. This discovery suggests that these massive planets likely formed through core accretion, contradicting older models.
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.
The Subaru Telescope's OASIS program has discovered a massive planet and a brown dwarf orbiting distant stars. These discoveries enable the upcoming Roman Space Telescope to test critical technologies for imaging Earth-like planets.
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.
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 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.
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.
Researchers tracked the ultra-hot Jupiter TOI-2109b's orbital decay to understand how stars dissipate energy. The study found three possible fates for the planet: being torn apart by tidal forces, plunging into its star, or having its gaseous envelope stripped away.
A team of astronomers detected a large gas giant between three and ten times the size of Jupiter hiding in the swirling disc of gas and dust surrounding a young star called MP Mus. The discovery was made using a combination of results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Space Agency’s Gaia miss...
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the direct image of a previously unknown exoplanet, TWA 7 b, located within a disk of rocky debris and dust. The exoplanet is ten times lighter than previously captured ones and more similar to Earth than gas giants.
Researchers detected atmospheric methane and silicon monoxide on WASP-121b, suggesting it accumulated most of its gas in a cold region before becoming an ultra-hot giant planet. The team proposes that strong vertical winds on the nightside replenish methane gas to maintain its high abundance.
Researchers used TESS data to identify close-in sub-Neptunes and found that their frequency changes over time, suggesting a combination of processes shaping their formation and evolution. The study provides clues about the properties of these planets and addresses long-standing questions about their origins.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first direct images of carbon dioxide in a planet outside the solar system. The observations suggest that four giant planets formed like Jupiter and Saturn by slowly building solid cores, providing strong evidence for core accretion as their formation model.
Astronomers have mapped the 3D structure of an exoplanet's atmosphere for the first time, revealing a unique climate with powerful winds carrying chemical elements like iron and titanium. The discovery opens the door for detailed studies of alien worlds' weather patterns.
Researchers at UTIG develop a computer model to detect oceans in Uranus' moons by analyzing small oscillations in their spin. The technique could reveal liquid water worlds throughout the galaxy, potentially harboring life.
Researchers argue that the planets' unique magnetic fields can be explained by immiscible layers of water and hydrocarbons. Computer simulations show that a combination of water, methane, and ammonia separates into two distinct layers under extreme temperatures and pressures.
Researchers detected hydrogen sulfide in HD 189733 b's atmosphere using the James Webb Space Telescope, shedding light on sulfur's role in planetary formation. The study also measured oxygen and carbon levels, providing insights into how planets form and evolve.
The newly discovered exoplanet, nicknamed Phoenix, has a surprisingly large and dense atmosphere, challenging current understanding of planetary evolution in extreme environments. Scientists estimate that the planet will survive for only 100 million years before dying due to its proximity to the star.
The NASA TESS-Keck Survey catalog features 126 exotic planets with detailed measurements allowing for comparisons with our solar system. Several planets stand out as touchstones for deepening astronomers' understanding of planetary formation and evolution.
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.
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 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 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 study by Indiana University astronomer Songhu Wang reveals that at least a fraction of hot Jupiters cannot form through violent processes, suggesting a new understanding of their evolution. Researchers found 12% of hot Jupiters and 70% of warm Jupiters have nearby planetary companions.
A recent experiment by UC Riverside astrophysicist Stephen Kane demonstrates that a terrestrial planet in this location would have disastrous effects on the solar system. The simulation found that such a planet could destabilize Earth's orbit, making it far less habitable and potentially ejecting Mercury and Venus from the solar system.
The discovery of TOI-5205b, a Jupiter-sized gas giant, contradicts the current understanding of planet formation. The planet's existence raises questions about the role of rocky material in forming massive cores and its potential to form gas giants despite these guardrails.
Researchers have observed an exoplanet whose orbit is decaying around an aging star, providing the first look at a solar system this late in its life cycle. The doomed world, Kepler-1658b, has less than 3 million years left before colliding with its expanding star.
Astronomers using JWST have detected unambiguous evidence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of WASP-39b, a Saturn-mass exoplanet. The discovery provides valuable insights into giant planet composition and heavy element abundance, with implications for understanding how planets form.
Three newly-discovered gas giant planets have extremely short orbits around subgiant or giant stars, with one planet TOI-2337b destined for consumption in less than 1 million years. The study's findings suggest chaotic planet-to-planet interactions and unpredictable heating rates, offering new insights into planetary system evolution.
A team of scientists measured the masses of two young giant planets in a 20 million-year-old system, finding they reached their final size at an early stage of evolution. This challenges current models, suggesting that giant planets can contract and mature rapidly.
Researchers used TRAPPIST-1's harmonious orbits to determine the impact history of its seven Earth-sized planets. The study found that these planets could have withstood only limited late bombardment, implying a relatively small amount of water arrived on time for potential life.
Researchers used Hubble Space Telescope observations and theoretical models to study a broader population of hot Jupiters. The study provides insight into planet formation and suggests that these planets contain similar sets of molecules, including water and carbon monoxide.