Articles tagged with Extrasolar Planetary Systems
Comprehensive exploration of living organisms, biological systems, and life processes across all scales from molecules to ecosystems. Encompasses cutting-edge research in biology, genetics, molecular biology, ecology, biochemistry, microbiology, botany, zoology, evolutionary biology, genomics, and biotechnology. Investigates cellular mechanisms, organism development, genetic inheritance, biodiversity conservation, metabolic processes, protein synthesis, DNA sequencing, CRISPR gene editing, stem cell research, and the fundamental principles governing all forms of life on Earth.
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Comprehensive investigation of human society, behavior, relationships, and social structures through systematic research and analysis. Encompasses psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, linguistics, education, demography, communications, and social research methodologies. Examines human cognition, social interactions, cultural phenomena, economic systems, political institutions, language and communication, educational processes, population dynamics, and the complex social, cultural, economic, and political forces shaping human societies, communities, and civilizations throughout history and across the contemporary world.
Fundamental study of the non-living natural world, matter, energy, and physical phenomena governing the universe. Encompasses physics, chemistry, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, materials science, and the investigation of physical laws, chemical reactions, geological processes, climate systems, and planetary dynamics. Explores everything from subatomic particles and quantum mechanics to planetary systems and cosmic phenomena, including energy transformations, molecular interactions, elemental properties, weather patterns, tectonic activity, and the fundamental forces and principles underlying the physical nature of reality.
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Study of the practice, culture, infrastructure, and social dimensions of science itself. Addresses how science is conducted, organized, communicated, and integrated into society. Encompasses research funding mechanisms, scientific publishing systems, peer review processes, academic ethics, science policy, research institutions, scientific collaboration networks, science education, career development, research programs, scientific methods, science communication, and the sociology of scientific discovery. Examines the human, institutional, and cultural aspects of scientific enterprise, knowledge production, and the translation of research into societal benefit.
Comprehensive study of the universe beyond Earth, encompassing celestial objects, cosmic phenomena, and space exploration. Includes astronomy, astrophysics, planetary science, cosmology, space physics, astrobiology, and space technology. Investigates stars, galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, black holes, nebulae, exoplanets, dark matter, dark energy, cosmic microwave background, stellar evolution, planetary formation, space weather, solar system dynamics, the search for extraterrestrial life, and humanity's efforts to explore, understand, and unlock the mysteries of the cosmos through observation, theory, and space missions.
Comprehensive examination of tools, techniques, methodologies, and approaches used across scientific disciplines to conduct research, collect data, and analyze results. Encompasses experimental procedures, analytical methods, measurement techniques, instrumentation, imaging technologies, spectroscopic methods, laboratory protocols, observational studies, statistical analysis, computational methods, data visualization, quality control, and methodological innovations. Addresses the practical techniques and theoretical frameworks enabling scientists to investigate phenomena, test hypotheses, gather evidence, ensure reproducibility, and generate reliable knowledge through systematic, rigorous investigation across all areas of scientific inquiry.
Study of abstract structures, patterns, quantities, relationships, and logical reasoning through pure and applied mathematical disciplines. Encompasses algebra, calculus, geometry, topology, number theory, analysis, discrete mathematics, mathematical logic, set theory, probability, statistics, and computational mathematics. Investigates mathematical structures, theorems, proofs, algorithms, functions, equations, and the rigorous logical frameworks underlying quantitative reasoning. Provides the foundational language and tools for all scientific fields, enabling precise description of natural phenomena, modeling of complex systems, and the development of technologies across physics, engineering, computer science, economics, and all quantitative sciences.
Astronomers have created a naturally occurring space weather station around complex periodic variable M dwarf stars to study the environment of planets. This discovery sheds new light on how stars affect their planets' makeup and might provide clues about the habitability of distant worlds.
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.
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.
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.
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 detected water ice and nitrogen in fragments torn apart from a Kuiper Belt analog, revealing the presence of volatile-rich material. The discovery sheds light on planet formation and the delivery of water to rocky planets.
Astronomers have discovered a frozen, water-rich planetary fragment being consumed by a white dwarf star outside our Solar System. The object is thought to be an icy planetesimal, possibly similar to Halley's Comet or Pluto, and has a high nitrogen abundance, making it a rare finding in the field.
New research suggests that technological alien life may be rare on planets without plate tectonics and too little carbon dioxide. The study found that a planet with 10% carbon dioxide could maintain a biosphere for up to 4.2 billion years, while one with 1% carbon dioxide would last only 3.1 billion years.
Three planetary scientists have been awarded Europlanet Career Medals for their contributions to planetary science. Dr Tim Lichtenberg received the Early-Career Medal for his work on planetary formation and exoplanet evolution, while Dr Benoit Carry won the Mid-Career Medal for his research on asteroid structures and planetary defence.
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.
Researchers create water tornado to investigate flow properties in protoplanetary discs, mimicking gravitational field and finding particles' motion conforming to Kepler's laws. The experiment provides insights into dust-particle interactions promoting planet formation.
Researchers identified early moment of planet formation around star beyond Sun, marking window to past of our Solar System. The discovery provides a unique analogue for studying early planet formation processes.
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.
Using advanced simulations, researchers Sho Shibata and Andre Izidoro suggest that super-Earths and mini-Neptunes form from distinct rings of planetesimals, providing fresh insight into planetary evolution. Their model replicates key features of exoplanetary systems, including the radius valley and 'peas-in-a-pod' pattern.
Scientists have discovered a scrawny star and its fast-moving super-Neptune world, which sets a new record for the fastest exoplanet system. The planetary system is thought to move at least 1.2 million miles per hour.
A landmark survey has imaged exocomet belts around 74 nearby stars, revealing their structure and location. The study provides new insights into the evolution of planetary systems, including the existence of large, undetectable planets that affect the distribution of pebbles in these systems.
Astronomers have discovered a fourth planet in the unusual Kepler-51 system, which consists of three ultra-low density 'super-puff' planets. The new planet, Kepler-51e, has a mass similar to the other three and follows a circular orbit of approximately 264 days.
A team of astronomers discovered new insights into the forces that shape protoplanetary disks using the James Webb Space Telescope. They traced disk winds in unprecedented detail, revealing an intricate structure and a pronounced central hole inside each cone-shaped envelope of winds.
Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet orbiting Barnard's star, located six light-years away, which has at least half the mass of Venus and orbits its star in just over three Earth days. The discovery was made using ESO's VLT and confirms the existence of a new exoplanet candidate, while also hinting at the presence of three more.
Researchers have observed a uniquely inflated and asymmetric exoplanet called WASP-107b using the James Webb Space Telescope. The exoplanet has an east-west asymmetry in its atmosphere, which may help scientists understand its climate and atmospheric dynamics.
A research team at Lund University has discovered a small exoplanet, TOI-1408c, with an unusual orbital motion that deviates from predicted behavior. The planet's interactions with its star and other planets offer insights into the complexity of planetary system formation.
Astronomers have imaged the coldest exoplanet ever detected using JWST, which agrees with models of planet evolution and solar system ages. The exoplanet orbits a super-Jupiter in the Epsilon Indi triple star system and has a mass six times that of Jupiter.
The MIRI Mid-INfrared Disk Survey (MINDS) discovered a large variety of carbon-rich gases in the disk surrounding a very low-mass star. This finding suggests that rocky planets with Earth-like characteristics may form more efficiently than Jupiter-like gas giants in such disks.
A new rocky planet, TOI-6713.01, has been found to be covered with active volcanoes, making it glow with a fiery, glowing-red hue. The planet's surface temperature reaches 2,600 degrees Kelvin due to gravitational forces that cause it to experience tidal energy.
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 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.
Researchers at UTSA's Department of Physics and Astronomy have used deconvolution algorithms to enhance images of galaxy NGC 5728 obtained by the James Webb Space Telescope. The study reveals a faint extended feature that could be part of an outflow from a supermassive black hole interacting with the host galaxy.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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...
Astronomers have discovered a new temperate exoplanet, LP 791-18 d, with properties similar to those of Earth. The planet is believed to be covered in volcanoes due to tidal heating, which causes heat to build up in its interior.
Researchers propose that early interactions between the magma ocean and a molecular hydrogen proto-atmosphere could have given rise to Earth's signature features, including its abundant water. The study suggests that even dry rocky material collisions would generate large quantities of water through these atmospheric-magma interactions.
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.
The study reveals that 'similar' planetary systems are the most common type, followed by 'ordered' and then 'anti-ordered' systems. The researchers found that factors such as gas and dust disk mass and star abundance play a crucial role in determining system architecture.
A new model accounts for the interplay of forces acting on newborn planets, explaining two puzzling observations: the radius valley and peas in a pod. The research suggests that giant impacts, like the one that formed our moon, are probably a generic outcome of planet formation.
Astronomers have discovered barium in the upper layers of ultra-hot Jupiters WASP-76 b and WASP-121 b, raising questions about these planets' atmospheres. The detection challenges scientists' understanding of heavy elements' behavior in exoplanet environments.
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have proposed a novel origin for Jupiter-like planets around massive stars. Massive stars can capture or steal planets from other stars in densely populated stellar nurseries, a process known as a 'planetary heist'.
Astronomers used the VLBA to trace a wobble in a nearby star's motion and discovered a Jupiter-like planet orbiting one of its stars. The planet has twice the mass of Jupiter and orbits every 284 days, with an inclined orbit of 148 degrees from the stars.
An international team of scientists has discovered 30 exocomets in the β Pictoris planetary system, determining their size range and estimating a similar size distribution to those orbiting the Sun. This discovery sheds new light on the origin and evolution of comets in planetary systems.
A team of astronomers led by the University of Birmingham detected a rare circumbinary planet, Kepler-16b, using radial velocity method. The discovery provides clues on planetary accretion and demonstrates that ground-based telescopes can be used for modern exoplanet research.
Researchers have discovered a giant gas planet, TOI-2180 b, with a diameter comparable to Jupiter's and a mass nearly three times that of Earth. The planet is also believed to contain 105 times the mass of elements heavier than helium and hydrogen.
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.
Astronomers have captured the first-ever spin measurements of HR 8799, revealing minimum rotation speeds of 10.1 km/s and 15 km/s for planets d and e, respectively. The findings provide new insights into planet formation and magnetic braking, hinting at a possible trend where lower mass planets spin faster.
Researchers at the Center for Astrophysics have detected a clear presence of a moon-forming region around exoplanet PDS 70c, one of two giant planets orbiting a star nearly 400 light-years away. The disk surrounding PDS 70c has enough mass to form up to three satellites the size of the Moon.
Astronomers using Gemini Observatory and WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope found 73 binary star systems among TESS exoplanet hosts, which could be hiding Earth-sized planets. The team discovered that small planets are harder to detect in binary systems due to glare from the companion star.
The discovery of exoplanet Nu2 Lupi d reveals a rare planet with no known equivalent, with a mass 8.8 times that of Earth and a radius 2.5 times larger than our own. The planet's mild stellar radiation and long orbital period make it an attractive target for future study.
A new study measured the densities of seven exoplanets in the TRAPPIST-1 system with extreme precision, finding remarkably similar compositions among all planets. The researchers propose three hypotheses to explain this similarity, including lower iron content, oxygen-enriched compositions, and water enrichment.
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 detect exoplanet AU Mic b, about the size of Neptune, using NASA's TESS and Spitzer space telescopes. The discovery provides a unique laboratory to study planetary formation and atmospheric interactions with a young star.
Astronomers analyze archival Hubble data to reveal possible explanation for Fomalhaut b's disappearance: a massive dust cloud produced in a collision between two large bodies orbiting the nearby star Fomalhaut. The team suggests this event may have occurred only every 200,000 years.
Numerical simulations reveal a 'safety zone' where warmer gas pushes satellites away from their parent planets, explaining the presence of single large moons like Titan. The findings support the idea that many large moons formed along with their parent planets.
Dr Markus Mugrauer's study confirms the influence of multiple stars on planet formation and development. He found 200 companion stars to planetary host stars up to 1,600 light years away, including red and white dwarf stars.