Extrasolar Planets
Astronomy Without A Telescope – Planet Spotting
[/caption] The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia counted 548 confirmed extrasolar planets at 6 May 2011, while the NASA Star and Exoplanet…
Update on Gliese 581d’s Habitability
[/caption] When last we checked in on Gliese 581d, a team from the University of Paris had suggested that the…
Transiting Super-Earth Detected Around Naked Eye Star
One of the first known stars to host an extrasolar planet, was that of 55 Cancri. The first planet in…
And Now Exo-magnetospheres
[/caption] New observations of one of the biggest and hottest known exoplanets in the galaxy, WASP 12b, suggest that it…
Astronomy Without A Telescope – Alien Mining
[/caption] Recently, some researchers speculated on what types of observational data from distant planetary systems might indicate the presence of…
Red Suns and Black Trees: Shedding a New Light on Alien Plants
[/caption] The grass may definitely not be greener on some alien worlds, suggests a new study from the UK.…
Astronomy Without A Telescope – Our Unlikely Solar System
[/caption] Recent modeling of Sun-like stars with planetary systems, found that a system with four rocky planets and four gas…
Amazing Image: Kepler’s Transiting Exoplanets
[/caption] Wow. This remarkable visualization shows every Kepler planetary candidate host star with its transiting companion in silhouette. Jason Rowe…
Kepler Spacecraft Back in Action After Computer Glitch
[/caption] NASA's Kepler spacecraft is back in planet-hunting action after a computer malfunction put it into “safe mode” for 144…
Exoplanet May Have Metal-Rich Atmosphere
[/caption] At first glance, GJ 1214b is just another of the growing number of the super-Earth class of exoplanets. Discovered…