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Spotted: An exoplanet with the potential to form moons

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.

SourceCenter for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 22, 2021

Are we missing other earths?

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.

SourceAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)·DateJun 28, 2021

Unique exoplanet photobombs Cheops study of nearby star system

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.

SourceUniversity of Liège·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJun 28, 2021
Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

The seven rocky planets of TRAPPIST-1 seem to have very similar compositions

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.

SourceUniversity of Liège·JournalThe Planetary Science Journal·DateJan 22, 2021

Nearness of newly found exoplanetary system offers great promise for studying exoplanet atmospheres

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.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateJun 25, 2020

Discovering an exoplanet the size of Neptune

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.

SourceUniversity of Montreal·JournalNature·DateJun 24, 2020

Exoplanet apparently disappears in latest Hubble observations

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.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 20, 2020
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Safety zone saves giant moons from fatal plunge

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.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·DateMar 9, 2020

Distant worlds under many suns

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.

SourceFriedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateNov 13, 2019

Hints of a volcanically active exomoon

Researchers at the University of Bern discover hints of a volcanically active exomoon, or exo-Io, orbiting the hot giant planet WASP-49b. The presence of sodium gas at an anomalously high-altitude suggests the existence of a small rocky moon that could be responsible for the observed phenomenon.

SourceUniversity of Bern·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateAug 29, 2019

Early protostar already has a warped disk

Researchers have observed a warped disk around an infant protostar, suggesting that misalignment of planetary orbits could be caused by distortions in the planet-forming disk. The discovery provides new insights into how planets form and could explain why many extrasolar systems have planets not lined up in a single plane.

SourceRIKEN·JournalNature·DateDec 31, 2018
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Computer searches telescope data for evidence of distant planets

A team of MIT researchers has developed a machine-learning system that can automatically search for debris disks around stars, indicating the presence of exoplanets. The system achieved a 97% accuracy rate and identified 367 previously unexamined celestial objects as promising candidates for further study.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalAstronomy and Computing·DateMar 30, 2018

Planets around other stars are like peas in a pod

A recent study published in The Astronomical Journal found that exoplanets orbiting the same star are often similar in size and have regular orbital spacing. This pattern could suggest that most planetary systems have a different formation history than our solar system.

SourceUniversity of Montreal·DateJan 9, 2018

First evidence of rocky planet formation in Tatooine system

A UCL-led team found evidence of planetary debris surrounding a double sun system called SDSS 1557, which suggests the presence of terrestrial planets like Tatooine. The discovery is remarkable because it shows a high metal content, including silicon and magnesium, indicating rocky planet assembly via large asteroids that formed.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalNature Astronomy·DateFeb 27, 2017
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

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Discovery one-ups Tatooine, finds twin stars hosting three giant exoplanets

A team of Carnegie scientists has discovered three giant planets in a binary star system composed of stellar 'twins' that are also effectively siblings of our Sun. The findings may help explain the influence that giant planets like Jupiter have over a solar system's architecture.

SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalThe Astronomical Journal·DateAug 31, 2016

Unusual planet within a triple star system imaged

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.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateJul 7, 2016

NASA's Hubble surveys debris-strewn exoplanetary construction yards

The largest visible-light imaging survey of dusty debris disks has been conducted around stars as young as 10 million years old and as mature as over 1 billion years. The diversity of these systems suggests gravitational effects from unseen exoplanets or interactions with interstellar material.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateNov 6, 2014
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Planet-forming lifeline discovered in a binary star system

Astronomers have discovered a 'wheel in a wheel' of dust and gas in the GG Tau-A binary star system, revealing a sustaining lifeline between the two discs. This finding supports planet formation by providing a mechanism for material to be transferred from the outer disc to the inner disc.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateOct 29, 2014

Planet-forming lifeline discovered in a binary star system

Researchers have discovered a 'wheel in a wheel' of dust and gas in the binary star system GG Tau-A, indicating that material is being transferred between the outer and inner disks. This finding has major consequences for potential planet formation, suggesting that multiple-star systems can form planets despite their complicated dynamics.

SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·JournalNature·DateOct 29, 2014

SF State astronomers discover new planet in Pisces constellation

Researchers found a new giant planet in the Pisces constellation using radial velocity technique, contradicting initial assumption that only single-star systems host planets. The discovery has significant implications for understanding how extrasolar planets are formed and could lead to further discoveries in multiple-star systems.

SourceSan Francisco State University·DateJan 9, 2014
Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

Researchers find that bright nearby double star Fomalhaut is actually a triple

Astronomers have confirmed that nearby double star Fomalhaut is actually a triple star system. The discovery was made using precise movements and spectroscopic measurements of astrometric data, revealing a third smaller star in the vicinity. The stars are separated by 5.5 degrees, but their gravitational pull keeps them bound together.

SourceUniversity of Rochester·DateOct 3, 2013

Distant planetary system is a super-sized solar system

A team of astronomers has made the most detailed examination yet of a Jupiter-like planet beyond our Solar System, discovering a cloudy atmosphere containing carbon monoxide and water vapour. The findings suggest that the system is like a scaled-up Solar System, with gas giants forming at great distances from their parent star

SourceDunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics·JournalScience·DateMar 14, 2013
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.

Flipping hot Jupiters

Astronomers at Northwestern University have developed a computer simulation that explains how hot Jupiters form with flipped orbits around their stars. The study, published in Nature, suggests that gravitational perturbations from other planets in the system can cause the inner planet to lose energy and orbit closer to its star.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalNature·DateMay 11, 2011