Exoplanets

Three New Exoplanets Found In a Star Cluster

So far, just a handful of planets have been found orbiting stars in star clusters – and actually, astronomers weren’t…

11 years ago

The Most Common Exoplanets Might be “Mini-Neptunes”

If the dataset from the Kepler mission is any indication, the most common type of exoplanets in our galaxy aren’t…

11 years ago

Super-sensitive Camera Captures a Direct Image of an Exoplanet

The world's newest and most powerful exoplanet imaging instrument, the recently-installed Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) on the 8-meter Gemini South…

11 years ago

Kepler Finds an Earth-Sized “Gas Giant”

Gas planets aren't always bloated, monstrous worlds the size of Jupiter or Saturn (or larger) they can also apparently be…

11 years ago

How Scientists Confirmed The Mass Of An Invisible Exoplanet

Planets are so very tiny next to stars outside of the solar system, making it really hard to spot exoplanets…

11 years ago

Why Exoplanet-Hunting Is ‘Like Seeing A Flea In A Lightbulb’

Exoplanets are really tiny compared to their host star, and it's hard to imagine sometimes how astronomers can even find…

11 years ago

This Exoplanet Is Turning Planetary Formation Scenarios Upside Down

What the heck is that giant exoplanet doing so far away from its star? Astronomers are still trying to figure…

11 years ago

How Do We Learn About An Alien Planet’s Size And Atmosphere?

The fun and challenge of exoplanet science is the planets are so far away and so tiny. Figuring out what…

11 years ago

Hubble Finds ‘Clear Signal’ of Water in 5 Exoplanet Atmospheres

For the first time, astronomers have found conclusive evidence of water in the hazy atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars.…

11 years ago

Kepler May Go Planet-Hunting Again! Infographic Shows How That Would Work

The planet-seeking Kepler space telescope had to stop its primary mission this summer after the failure of a second of…

11 years ago