Exoplanet News - SciTechDaily

“Unusually Massive” – Astronomers Discover a Planet That Shouldn’t Exist

Penn State — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 13:39:06 +0000

Researchers at Penn State have discovered an unusually massive planet, LHS 3154b, orbiting an ultracool dwarf star. This finding, contradicting current theories, prompts a reassessment...

Cosmic Rhythms: Strange Discovery of a Six-Planet System in Perfect Harmony

University of Chicago — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 22:03:17 +0000

Study led by University of Chicago astronomer Rafael Luque may tell us about how planets form. Scientists have discovered a rare sight in a nearby...

Webb’s Galactic Surprise: Reveals Rocky Planet Secrets in Cosmic Extremes

Space Telescope Science Institute — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 13:40:48 +0000

Astronomers find a range of molecules that are among the building blocks for rocky planets. Space is a harsh environment, but some areas are even...

Cosmic Choreography: Unraveling the 6-Planet Resonance Mystery

Pat Brennan, NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 05:18:40 +0000

Researchers led by Rafael Luque discovered six planets in a rare gravitational resonance around a smaller, cooler star. This unique arrangement, stable since the system’s...

Hubble’s Big Reveal: Unearthing the Secrets of a Nearby Earth-Sized World

Space Telescope Science Institute — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 02:48:22 +0000

Hubble Telescope confirms the size of Earth-like exoplanet LTT 1445Ac, offering new insights into its composition and the potential for further atmospheric study. Lots of...

Extraterrestrial Life: Alien Haze Reveals Secrets of Distant Watery Exoplanets

Johns Hopkins University — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 09:17:11 +0000

Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in simulating hazy conditions on water-rich exoplanets, offering new insights into the challenges of observing these distant worlds in...

Webb Space Telescope Reveals Atmospheric Effects of CO2 on Earth and Exoplanets

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:43:58 +0000

A research team, utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope, has discovered that increased CO2 levels lead to more intense warming in regions without direct sunlight...

Webb’s Cosmic Coup: Sniffing Out Methane on a Distant World

Taylor Bell and Luis Welbanks — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 09:45:18 +0000

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has detected methane in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-80 b, a milestone in space exploration. This discovery, confirmed through...

Neon Mysteries in the Cosmos: Webb Telescope Rewrites Planet Formation Playbook

Space Telescope Science Institute — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:29:46 +0000

The contrast between the James Webb Space Telescope’s observations and those of the Spitzer Space Telescope, just 15 years ago, indicate changing conditions around a...

Cosmic Vanishing Acts: NASA Unraveling the Mystery of Shrinking Exoplanets

Jet Propulsion Laboratory — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 15:21:46 +0000

A new study could explain the ‘missing’ exoplanets between super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. Some exoplanets seem to be losing their atmospheres and shrinking. In a new...

Alien Atmosphere: Webb Detects Water Vapor, Sulfur Dioxide and Sand Clouds in Nearby Exoplanet

KU Leuven — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:00:09 +0000

A team of astronomers used recent observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope to study the atmosphere of the nearby exoplanet WASP-107 b. Peering...

Cosmic Billiards: How “Bouncing” Comets Might Seed Life Across the Galaxy

University of Cambridge — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:22:10 +0000

Cambridge researchers propose that comets could transport life’s building blocks to other planets, especially in ‘peas in a pod’ systems. Their findings suggest that these...

The Ammonia Trail: Unlocking Cosmic Mysteries of Distant Worlds With Webb

ETH Zurich — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 15:18:38 +0000

The detection of ammonia isotopologues in a brown dwarf by the James Webb Space Telescope offers groundbreaking insights into the formation of gas giants and...

Rogue Revelations: Webb Identifies 540 Planetary Surprises in the Orion Nebula

Nancy Atkinson, Universe Today — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 22:02:25 +0000

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected 540 planetary-mass objects, believed to be rogue planets, in the Orion Nebula and Trapezium Cluster. It appears that...

Unveiling the Secrets of Alien Worlds: The Jurassic-Era Clue That Could Be Key to Finding Habitable Exoplanets

James Dean, Cornell University — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 20:54:06 +0000

Things may not have ended well for dinosaurs on Earth, but Cornell University astronomers say the “light fingerprint” of the conditions that enabled them to...

Exoplanet Excitement: Kepler Reveals a Sizzling System With Seven Super-Earths

Frank Tavares, NASA — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 09:26:06 +0000

NASA’s Kepler telescope data has unveiled a new system called Kepler-385 with seven hot, large planets that orbit a star slightly larger and hotter than...

Galactic Fireworks: Detecting Explosive Planet Collisions in Distant Star Systems

SciTechDaily — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 19:36:59 +0000

Afterglow of an explosive collision between giant planets may have been detected in a far-off star system. The afterglow of a massive collision between two...

Quartz Showers: Silica Snow Envelops the Fiery Atmosphere of Hot Jupiter Exoplanet

Space Telescope Science Institute — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 01:42:38 +0000

Flakes of silica “snow” fill the skies of puffy, searing-hot exoplanet WASP-17 b. Catching a glimpse of one of the most common and familiar minerals...

When Space Sizzles: Scientists Discover the Hottest Jupiter-Like Object Ever

Weizmann Institute of Science — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 17:19:39 +0000

A newly discovered binary celestial system could advance our understanding of planet and star evolution under extreme conditions. The search for exoplanets – planets that...

Cosmic Crash! Afterglow of Massive Planetary Collision Captured for the First Time

University of Bristol — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:04:04 +0000

Researchers observed two ice giant exoplanets colliding around a sun-like star, causing an intense burst of light and dust. This discovery, made by an international...

Astrophysicists Unlock Mysterious Secrets of Strange Lava Worlds

Ohio State University — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 04:54:04 +0000

Study reveals how magma oceans may affect the evolution of hot exoplanets. Lava worlds, massive exoplanets home to sparkling skies and roiling volcanic seas called...

Unlocking Exoplanetary Secrets: Webb Space Telescope’s Deep Dive Into TRAPPIST-1

University of Michigan — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 11:14:14 +0000

Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope shed light on the TRAPPIST-1 solar system, particularly planet TRAPPIST-1 b. The study emphasized the star’s substantial influence...

Stellar Contamination and Ghostly Atmospheres: Webb Reveals New Insights Into TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanet

University of Montreal — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 10:44:23 +0000

Astronomers have made breakthroughs in studying the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanetary system, emphasizing the role of stellar contamination and exploring the potential atmospheres of TRAPPIST-1 b. Astronomers...

An Unprecedented Opportunity – Using Cosmic Weather To Study Which Worlds Could Support Alien Life

Ohio State University — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 10:25:43 +0000

The study employs a new code to test the abilities of the next generation of telescopes. As the next generation of giant, high-powered observatories starts...