Exoplanets
Exoplanets Could be Hiding Their Atmospheres
One of the most intriguing planetary systems is TRAPPIST-1, with several Earth-sized worlds orbiting a red dwarf star, and astronomers…
Iron Winds are Blowing on WASP-76 b
Exoplanets have been discovered with a wide range of environmental conditions. WASP-76b is one of the most extreme with a…
There’s More Water Inside Planets Than We Thought
When you walk across your lawn or down the street, you move on the surface of a surprisingly layered world.…
By Watching the Sun, Astronomers are Learning More about Exoplanets
Watching the Olympics recently and the amazing effort of the hammer throwers was a wonderful demonstration of the radial velocity…
How Vegetation Could Impact the Climate of Exoplanets
The term 'habitable zone' is a broad definition that serves a purpose in our age of exoplanet discovery. But the…
X-Ray Telescopes Could Study Exoplanets Too
Exoplanets are often discovered using the transit method (over three quarters of those discovered have been found this way.) The…
Earth-like exoplanets might be in short supply for the Habitable Worlds Observatory
How common are Earth-like exoplanets—also called exo-Earths—and which exoplanetary systems should we target to find them? This is what a…
Ocean Salinity Affects Earth’s Climate. How About on Exoplanets?
There's a link between Earth's ocean salinity and its climate. Salinity can have a dramatic effect on the climate of…
Good Thing We Found this Earth-Sized Planet Now. It’s About to Be Destroyed
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of exoplanets with extremely small orbits around their stars. But what about exoplanets that get…
Astronomers See Planets Forming Around Binary Stars
Over 5,000 exoplanets have been discovered around distant star systems. Protoplanetary disks have been discovered too and it’s these, out…