Extrasolar Planets
How Big Do Planets Get?
Question: How Big Can Planets Get? Answer: Here in the Solar System, we have three kinds of planets: the inner…
Why Haven’t Planets Been Detected Around Alpha Centauri?
Question: Why aren't astronomers looking for planets around nearby stars like Alpha Centauri? Answer: That's a great question. Since Alpha…
Using Laser Combs to Find Exoplanets
We've run a couple of articles recently about new techniques to find Earth-like extra-solar planets. Here's one more, but this…
New Search Technique May Lead to Discovery of Extra-solar Earth-Like Planets
The Holy Grail in the search for extra-solar planets would be to find an Earth-like world orbiting another star. A…
SuperWASP are Super Planet-Finding Observatories
The United Kingdom’s Wide Area Search for Planets, known as SuperWASP consists of two 8-camera robotic observatories that cover both…
Planet Formation Revealed?
One of the biggest unresolved questions of planet formation is how a thick disc of debris and gas surrounding young…
Organic Molecules Seen in an Extrasolar Planet
The Hubble Space Telescope has turned up evidence for organic molecules on a planet orbiting another star. Organic molecules? Like…
Could AA Tauri Hold the Biochemical Key to Extra-Terrestrial Life?
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has measured huge quantities of water and organic compounds surrounding the star AA Tauri, 450 light…
Are There Planets Around Alpha Centauri?
We're holding out hope for the next generation of planet-finding observatories to locate Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars. But hold…
Planet Hunter Prepped for Tests
If you think the discoveries made by planet hunters is exciting already, just you wait. There are some missions in…