Space and astronomy news
A new study by an international team of astronomers has shown that eclipsing binary stars could act as a natural “starshade,” making it easier to spot orbiting exoplanets.
We’re getting better and better at detecting exoplanets. Using the transit method of detection, the Kepler Space Telescope examined over 530,000 stars and discovered over 2,600 explanets in nine years. TESS, the successor to Kepler, is still active, and has so far identified over 1800 candidate exoplanets, with 46 confirmed. But what if, hidden in …
A new study takes a hard look at the TRAPPIST-1 system to determine if its seven exoplanets could have viable atmospheres – with encouraging results!
A new study by a team of NASA scientists indicates that “ocean worlds,” like those in our Solar System, could be very common in our Universe.
Six billion Earth-like planets in the Milky Way? If true, that’s astounding. But the number needs some context. The Milky Way has up 400 billion stars. So even if there are six billion Earth-like planets, they’re still spread far and wide throughout our vast galaxy.
Newborn exoplanets can have a tough life. They may form an atmosphere, but that atmosphere can be doomed. Their stars can emit intense X-ray and UV radiation, stripping away those atmospheres and laying their surfaces bare. A team of researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics looked at a family of four newborn sibling planets, …
Continue reading “Newborn Exoplanets can be Completely Stripped of Their Atmosphere by Stars”
How did Earth evolve from an ocean of magma to the vibrant, life-supporting, blue jewel it is now? In its early years, the Earth was a blistering hot ball of magma. Now, 4.5 billion years later, it’s barely recognizable. Is it possible to find exoplanets out there in the vast expanse, which are young molten …
Researchers from the Carl Sagan Institute have created a new model for assessing the habitability of exoplanets that orbit different types of stars
Planet formation is a notoriously difficult thing to observe. Nascent planets are ensconced inside dusty wombs that resist our best observation efforts. But recently, astronomers have made progress in imaging these planetary newborns. A new study presents the first-ever direct images of twin baby planets forming around their star.
A new study by an international team of astronomers raises questions about the existence of debris belts around red dwarf stars and how water could have been distributed within them.