Articles tagged with Planetary Astronomy
The study of XO-3b reveals stronger seasonal variations than Earth's, with temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees C. The planet's oval orbit and high surface temperatures suggest a history of migration toward its parent star.
Researchers use ALMA and VLA to detect chaotic dust and gas streams caused by an intruder object interacting with the binary protostar. The study provides evidence of flyby events in nature, which can dramatically perturb circumstellar disks and impact planet formation.
Researchers used computer simulations to model how dust collides and grows into solid cores for gas giants. This process enables the formation of massive cores necessary for gas accumulation within a few hundred thousand years.
A new study by Rice University astrophysicist André Izidoro suggests that the sun had rings before planets formed, explaining many solar system features. The model simulates the solar system's formation hundreds of times and reproduces several features missed by previous models, including pressure bumps and rings.
A team of researchers discovered 170 previously unknown free-floating planets (FFPs) in the Upper Scorpius young stellar association. This is the largest sample of FFPs found in a single association, suggesting that dynamical ejection from planetary systems may be an important mechanism for their formation.
Researchers have uncovered the truth behind the missing volatiles in meteorites, revealing a massive shockwave phenomenon that stripped elements from planetary building blocks. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of Earth's geochemical evolution and the Solar System's youth.
A new study proposes that life could neutralize acidic environment, creating habitable pockets in Venus' clouds. The researchers identified a chemical pathway by which life could produce ammonia, explaining observed anomalies and anomalies.
Researchers have discovered that vast ice forms on Pluto's surface are formed by the sublimation of nitrogen ice, powering convection in the ice layer of Sputnik Planitia. This process is consistent with climate models and has implications for other planetary bodies.
A team of scientists simulated over 200,000 hypothetical Earth-like worlds to understand the types of environments astronomers can expect to find on real exoplanets. They found that in 90% of cases with liquid water on the surface, there are no ice sheets, but rather permanent ice belts along the equator.
A study suggests the IAU's current definition of a planet is flawed and rooted in folklore and astrology. Researchers propose a new definition focused on a planet's geological activity, clearing its own orbit to be the largest gravitational force.
Astronomers have discovered an ultra-short-period planet GJ 367 b, which orbits its star in just eight hours and has a radius of 72% that of Earth. The planet's mass is 55% of the Earth's, indicating it likely has an iron-rich core, similar to Mercury's interior.
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.
The discovery of hundreds of new exoplanets is a significant advance in understanding how planets form and orbits evolve. A notable finding includes a planetary system with two gas giant planets, each roughly the size of Saturn, located unusually close to their host star.
Astronomers have discovered an ultrahot Jupiter, TOI-2109b, with a record-breaking 16-hour orbit. The planet is estimated to be around 5 times the size of Jupiter and has a day side temperature of approximately 3,500 Kelvin.
A new technique developed by University of Hawaii astronomer Nader Haghighipour has successfully detected a transiting circumbinary planet in TESS data. The discovery validates the method, which reduces the time to detect such planets from over a year to just five days.
Researchers detected a planet in a 200-day orbit around two stars using TESS data from just one sector over 27 days. The discovery was made possible by observing the planet's transits and eclipses, providing new insights into circumbinary planets.
Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a new type of exoplanet known as 'eggshell planets,' which are likely to have little topography and no plate tectonics. These planets may resemble the lowlands on Venus, with vast expanses of lava but little high-standing terrain.
Jupiter's banded pattern extends deep beneath the clouds, and the appearance of its belts and zones inverts near the base of the water clouds. The planet's microwave emissions reveal a transition zone between five and 10 bars, where the zones become bright and the belts dark.
A team of scientists led by University of Hawaii at Manoa has discovered a newly-formed planet, 2M0437b, which can be directly observed. The planet is estimated to be several times more massive than Jupiter and formed with its star around the time of main Hawaiian Island emergence.
Researchers developed a holographic lens that can focus light onto a single point or disperse it into its constituent colors, producing a spectrum of pure colors. The new method uses two sources of light to create a super spectral resolution optical element for detecting exoplanets with high resolution.
Researchers have discovered evidence of a giant impact that occurred in a nearby star system, stripping part of the planet's atmosphere. The team observed carbon monoxide gas around the star, which they believe was released from a massive impact involving two proto-planets.
The special issue covers observations of exoplanet geology, composition, atmosphere, and potential habitability. SwRI researchers Dr. Natalie Hinkel and Dr. Cayman Unterborn collaborated with Dr. Oliver Shorttle to create a diverse overview of exoplanets, making it accessible to a wide community of scientists.
A new analysis suggests that a gap existed within the protoplanetary disk around 4.567 billion years ago, near the asteroid belt, affecting the composition of infant planets. The team found that meteorites from the outer region had stronger magnetic fields than those from the inner region.
Scientists confirm a link between planetary and stellar compositions, with some planets exhibiting higher iron content than their host stars. This study provides insights into planetary formation and evolution, shedding light on potential habitability and constraining possible compositions.
Researchers detected giant gas planet with Jupiter-like orbit around white dwarf star, confirming planets can exist beyond star death; study suggests Jupiter and Saturn may survive Sun's red giant phase.
Scientists have discovered radio waves coming from 19 distant red dwarf stars, suggesting the presence of hidden planets. The discovery uses the world's most powerful radio telescope, LOFAR, and indicates a scaled-up version of Jupiter-Io interaction with a planet in the star's magnetic field.
The discovery of ionized calcium on the exoplanet WASP-76b suggests that its atmospheric temperature is higher than previously thought or that it has very strong upper atmosphere winds. The research findings are from a multiyear project exploring the diversity of planetary atmospheres using high-resolution spectra obtained with Gemini ...
Researchers identified a potential circumtriple planet in the star system GW Ori, with implications for our understanding of planet formation. The discovery, made using ALMA telescope observations, suggests that planet formation may be more active than previously thought.
Researchers warn that future exoplanet direct-imaging missions need to make multiple observations to differentiate between planets. In 36% of solar systems, an Earth-like planet can be misidentified with a Mercury-like planet, and in 72% of cases, it could be mistaken for a Venus-like planet.
A new study from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that Mars' small size limits its habitability due to a lack of retained volatiles. Researchers used potassium isotopes to determine the presence and abundance of volatile elements on Mars, finding a correlation between body size and volatile composition.
Researchers found significant reservoirs of large organic molecules in protoplanetary disks, providing a potential pathway for life to form elsewhere. The presence of these molecules suggests basic chemical conditions that led to life on Earth could exist more widely across the Galaxy.
A study using ALMA revealed that protoplanetary disks around five young stars are factories of organic molecules, including nitriles implicated in the origins of life. The discovery provides insights into planetary system formation and whether these systems have what it takes to host life.
Astronomers have mapped out the chemicals inside planetary nurseries with unprecedented detail, revealing dozens of molecules within five protoplanetary disks. The locations of these molecules vary dramatically across each disk, resulting in diverse chemical environments that may impact planetary formation and potential for life.
Researchers have discovered a uniquely shaped hot spot on a baby star 450 million light-years away, providing new clues about the formation of our solar system. The discovery confirms accretion models and sheds light on how young stars grow.
Theoretical astrophysicist Kevin Heng has discovered an entire family of new mathematical solutions for calculating phase curves, enabling the analysis of data in seconds. These solutions have major implications for interpreting data, such as analyzing the Cassini spacecraft's Jupiter phase curves to infer a cloudy atmosphere.
Researchers from Osaka University and NASA discovered that cold planets exist throughout the Milky Way, even in the Galactic bulge, a region previously thought to be inhospitable to planet formation. The study used gravitational microlensing to determine the distribution of planets across the galaxy.
An international team has identified five objects that could help distinguish brown dwarfs from low-mass stars. The companions, characterized by periods of 5-27 days and radii between Jupiter's, provide valuable information about their composition and formation.
Astronomers have identified a new class of habitable exoplanets dubbed 'Hycean' which are hot and ocean-covered with hydrogen-rich atmospheres, potentially supporting microbial life. These planets offer a wider habitable zone than Earth-like planets, making them promising candidates for finding biosignatures of life.
Astronomers create most-detailed map yet of Jupiter's upper atmosphere, confirming aurorae as responsible for planet-wide heating. Researchers use data from the Keck Observatory to reveal unprecedented detail in temperature maps, shedding light on long-standing puzzle.
Researchers analyzed images of Mercury's surface and found only 14 boulders, compared to the Moon's 30 times more frequent presence. Factors such as micrometeorite bombardment, thicker regolith, and extreme temperature fluctuations contribute to the rarity of boulders on Mercury.
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.
The Hubble Space Telescope has detected sublimated water vapor in Ganymede's atmosphere, suggesting the presence of liquid water beneath its icy surface. This finding is significant in the search for habitable planets beyond Earth and provides valuable insights into the composition and potential habitability of icy worlds.
A study led by the University of Warwick predicts that four massive planets in a perfect rhythm will be destabilized and turned into a chaotic system when their sun becomes a white dwarf. The planets' movements will become highly uncertain, with even small changes having a significant impact on the outcome.
Researchers detected a new chemical signature, hydroxyl radical (OH), on the dayside of WASP-33b, an ultra-hot Jupiter. The discovery provides insight into the chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres and could help search for 'Earth-like' planets.
Researchers have found a curious signal that could be the first known world around Vega. The alien planet would orbit close to Vega and rank as the second hottest world known to science.
The team has determined the mass of a rocky planet around the nearby star Gliese 486 using MAROON-X's spectrometer. The exoplanet, called Gliese 486 b, is roughly three times the mass of Earth and has a similar density.
A newly discovered rocky planet, Gliese 486b, has been found to have a 'piping-hot' surface temperature of 430 degrees Celsius, making it inhospitable to human life. However, studying its atmosphere could provide valuable insights into the possibility of habitable planets and signs of life beyond Earth.
University of Warwick astronomers detect lithium and potassium in the atmospheres of four nearby white dwarf stars, revealing remnants of rocky planet crusts. The chemical composition of these crusts is similar to Earth's continental crust, providing a glimpse of the planets that may have orbited these dying stars billions of years ago.
Astronomers have confirmed an exoplanet, HD 106906 b, with a highly eccentric orbit around its binary star, similar to the hypothetical Planet Nine. The planet's orbit is likely bound, and its presence suggests that distant planets can form within the first tens of millions of years of a star's life.
Researchers found that massive planets can wipe out spiral structures in young protoplanetary discs. This suggests that planets may form rapidly and early in the disc's lifecycle, requiring scientists to reassess formation times.
Astronomers detect tiny free-floating planet with timescale of just 42 minutes, shedding light on turbulent past of young planetary systems. The discovery demonstrates that low-mass free-floating planets can be detected and characterized using ground-based telescopes.
Researchers at Northern Arizona University have discovered activity on the Centaur 2014 OG392, a minor planet in the outer solar system. The discovery led to its reclassification as a comet, C/2014 OG392 (PANSTARRS), due to the presence of a coma and sublimation processes indicating the presence of carbon dioxide or ammonia.
Astronomers have identified 1,004 main-sequence stars that might contain Earth-like planets in their habitable zones, all within 300 light-years of Earth. These exoplanets could detect signs of a biosphere in Earth's atmosphere.
Astronomers have discovered an Earth-sized 'pi planet' called K2-315b, which orbits its star every 3.14 days and has a surface temperature of around 350 degrees Fahrenheit, making it unlikely to support life.
The discovery of WD 1856 b, a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a white dwarf every 34 hours, shows the likely presence of planets around these star remnants. The finding was made possible by NASA's TESS Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope data.
Two teams of astronomers used ALMA to discover a misaligned ring system in the planet-forming disk of GW Orionis, a triple star system. The findings suggest that either gravitational pull from the stars or a newborn planet caused the misalignment, highlighting the complex processes involved in planetary formation.
A new machine learning algorithm confirms 50 new exoplanets, ranging from Neptunes to Earth-sized worlds, by distinguishing between real and false positives. The technique outperforms previous methods, can be automated, and improves with further training.
Astronomers using NSF's NOIRLab facilities and citizen science project Backyard Worlds have discovered approximately 100 cool brown dwarfs near the Sun, with several of these worlds approaching Earth's temperature. These discoveries provide new insights into the formation and atmospheres of planets beyond our Solar System.
Scientists are using a High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) and iSHELL/IRTF to observe the newly discovered planet AU Mic, aiming to disentangle its radial velocity signal from stellar activity. This will allow for precise calculations of the planet's orbital parameters and mass.
Astronomers have discovered a lost planet, NGTS-11b, which orbits a star 620 light years away and is located five times closer to its sun than Earth. The discovery brings astronomers closer to finding cooler planets in the habitable 'Goldilocks zone' that can support liquid water.