Exoplanets
The Webb Has Confirmed its First Exoplanet, and it’s the Same Size as Earth.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope ever launched into space. That power has led to a…
Giant Exoplanet is Spiraling Inward to its Doom
"Death by star" is a fate awaiting most planets in star systems. That includes our Sun, Venus, and Mercury a…
Are Planets Tidally Locked to Red Dwarfs Habitable? It’s Complicated
Astronomers are keenly interested in red dwarfs and the planets that orbit them. Up to 85% of the stars in…
Could Life Survive on Frigid Exo-Earths? Maybe Under Ice Sheets
Our understanding of habitability relies entirely on the availability of liquid water. All life on Earth needs it, and there's…
This Hellish Planet Orbits its Star Every 18 Hours. How Did it Get There?
Astronomers discovered 55 Cancri e in 2004. That was five years before NASA's Kepler planet-hunting spacecraft was launched, and exoplanet…
Astronomers Have Found Two Temperate Super-Earths Orbiting a Nearby Red Dwarf
A team of astronomers has found two Super-Earths orbiting a red dwarf about 114 light-years away. The star, named LP…
Do Exoplanet Scientists Have Favorite Exoplanets?
Exoplanets have become quite the sensation over the last decade-plus, with scientists confirming new exoplanets on a regular basis thanks…
What’s the Best Mix of Oceans to Land for a Habitable Planet?
Earth is about 29% land and 71% oceans. How significant is that mix for habitability? What does it tell us…
JWST Detects Signs of Active Chemistry and Clouds in the Atmosphere of Exoplanet WASP-39 b
NASA's JWST data just keeps on delivering amazing discoveries. Back in July, it observed the exoplanet WASP-39 b and found…
Searching for Life on Highly Eccentric Exoplanets
When we think about finding life beyond Earth, especially on exoplanets, we immediately want to search for the next Earth,…