Temperate exoplanet LHS 1140 b may be a world completely covered in ice (left), similar to Jupiter’s moon Europa, or an icy world with a liquid substellar ocean and a cloudy atmosphere (center). LHS 1140 b is 1.7 times the size of Earth (right) and is the most promising exoplanet in the habitable zone found … Read more
Astronomer David Kipping, of Cool Worlds fame, has called on other astronomers to use their telescope time to observe a particularly unusual star that appears to have a very strange or “seemingly impossible” chemical composition. In recent years, we have seen some stars behaving really strangely. The classic example is KIC 8462852, better known as … Read more
This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked pre-publication trusted source proofreading OK! by Tomasz Nowakowski, Phys.org Full TESS detrended PDCSAP light curve of HD 21520 showing the four transits detected (magenta). Credit: Nies et al., 2024. × close to Full TESS detrended PDCSAP light curve of HD 21520 showing the four transits detected … Read more
Researchers have shown through high-energy laser experiments that magnesium oxide is likely the first mineral to solidify in the formation of a super-Earth, which has a crucial influence on the geophysical evolution of these planets. A new study finds that magnesium oxide, a key mineral in planet formation, may be the first to solidify in … Read more
This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread OK! by Tomasz Nowakowski, Phys.org Discovery transit photometry of SPECULOOS-3 b. Credit: Gillon et al., 2024. × close to Discovery transit photometry of SPECULOOS-3 b. Credit: Gillon et al., 2024. An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new … Read more
A ‘hot Neptune’ exoplanet It has been discovered that there is sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere – an atmosphere that also spews into space as the planet orbits its star in a steeply inclined orbit every three and a third days. The existence of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of the exoplanet, named GJ 3470b … Read more
By means of Knicole Colón and Christopher Stark, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center June 9, 2024 NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope examines potentially habitable exoplanets in our Milky Way, focusing on small planets that could support life due to their location in the habitable zone. Detecting atmospheres, let alone biosignatures indicative of life, is extremely … Read more
This is an artist’s impression of a young star surrounded by a disk of gas and dust. An international team of astronomers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to study the disk around a young, very low-mass star known as ISO-ChaI 147. The results reveal the richest hydrocarbon chemistry yet observed in a protoplanetary disk. … Read more
A strange planet discovered by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is confusing astronomers. Despite being mercilessly bombarded with radiation from its red giant parent star, the world has, against all odds, held on to its atmosphere. It is also smaller, older and hotter than scientists thought possible for such a planet. In reality, the … Read more
The discovery of Gliese 12 b, a planet similar to Venus and only 40 light-years away, offers new perspectives for understanding life-supporting conditions in the universe. This ‘evil twin’ receives significantly more radiation from its star than Earth, raising intriguing questions for future research with advanced telescopes. Credit: SciTechDaily.com Recent findings from a Venus-like planet, … Read more