Extrasolar Planets
ET Would Know There’s Life on Earth
It seems impossible to believe, but astronomers are now making plans to reach for the brass ring of planet hunting:…
More Evidence that Gliese 581 Has Planets in the Habitable Zone
The discovery of Gliese 581 was one of the most exciting moments in extrasolar planetary researcher. Astronomers found an Earth-massed…
What Does it Take to Destroy a Gas Giant?
To destroy a terrestrial planet, you need the Death Star. But what will you do if you want to take…
Atmosphere of an Extrasolar Planet Measured
Good timing. Just as Nick was mentioning how astronomers might be able to detect vegetation on extrasolar planets, we get…
Could We Detect Plants on other Planets?
We've already found over 250 extrasolar planets, and more are continuing to be discovered fairly often. With all of these…
Planets Found Forming in the Pleiades Star Cluster
As you gaze up at the familiar Pleiades star cluster, here's something new you can think about. Planets recently collided…
Fifth Planet Found Orbiting 55 Cancri
Our Solar System has 8 planets, but another, 55 Cancri, is catching up fast. Astronomers today announced the discovery of…
Three New Jupiter-Sized Planets Discovered
You know the science of planet hunting is getting mainstream when there's very little fanfare for the discovery of 3…
NASA Dreams Up Exotic Earth-Sized Planets
Science fiction writers have been imagining other worlds for years, and now they're going to get a little scientific help,…
Planet Survives its Star Becoming a Red Giant
When a star like our own Sun nears the end of its 10 billion year life, it expands up into…