Extrasolar Planets
On Some Planets, the Winds Go Supersonic
Think of the strongest wind you've ever experienced. No, think of the strongest wind anyone's ever experienced. It still doesn't…
Gas Giants Turn Up Early After Star Formation
New research indicates that gas giants, like Jupiter and Saturn, form quickly after their stars do. In fact, they probably…
New Planet Hunter Prepares for Launch
A powerful new instrument for finding extrasolar planets is about to launch: COROT (Convection Rotation and planetary Transits). Developed by…
Brown Dwarf Companion Seen Directly
Astronomers have directly imaged a brown dwarf companion to the star HD 3651. This star is already known to host…
Day and Night on an Extrasolar Planet
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has measured the day and night time temperatures of an extrasolar planet. This planet is located…
Super Earths Emerge From Snowy Conditions
Many extrasolar planets have been discovered circling other stars, a few of which are 5-15 times the mass of the…
Hubble Examines the Closest Known Extrasolar Planet
The Hubble Space Telescope turned its gaze towards a relatively nearby Jupiter-sized world recently. The planet orbits the Sun-like star…
Hubble Finds Distant Extrasolar Planets
The Hubble Space Telescope has identified 16 stars that could have extrasolar planets. The discoveries were made as part of…
Are There Oceans on Neptune?
Smaller and cooler than the gas giants, Neptune and Uranus are classified as ice giants. It's a good name, since…
A Closer Look at Planetary Formation
Astronomers have used the European Southern Observatory to map a vast disc of gas and dust surrounding a newly born…