exoplanets

News

Apr 18, 2013 08:59 PM EDT

Smallest Earth-Like Exoplanets Found Orbiting in Habitable Zones

The two smallest exoplanets yet found in the habitable zone of a star system, and thus with the potential to be similar to Earth, were identified using the Kepler Space Telescope.

exoplanet hunting space telescope TESS, developed by MIT, in orbit.

Apr 07, 2013 11:50 PM EDT

Neutron Star Experiment and an Exoplanet Searching Probe Selected for 2017 Launch

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) project at MIT will develop and launch a space-based planet hunter, while NICER will be an array of X-ray telescopes mounted on the ISS to analyze the still mysterious neutron stars.

An artist's impression shows the new planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri B

Mar 15, 2013 04:03 PM EDT

Young Exoplanet Offers Clues About Milky Way Origins

Studying the atmosphere of an alien exoplanet, astronomers are getting more clues about the origins of our own solar system.

Mar 12, 2013 09:10 PM EDT

More Earth-Sized Planets in Habitable Zones And Closer Than Thought

The number of potentially habitable, earth-sized exoplanets is larger than the current estimate when extrapolating the total numbers using an updated habitability zone, instead of the old definition from 1993.

Jan 13, 2013 02:05 AM EST

More planets than stars in our galaxy

How common are Earth-sized planets? A study dealing with this question was officially published on January 11, and independently from that, a graphic from NASA appeared the day after, illustrating another extrapolation from recent data taken by NASA's orbiting Kepler spacecraft. According to the lat...

Jan 10, 2013 05:45 PM EST

Extrasolar moons will support life just as likely as exoplanets

With thousands of exoplanets discovered in just the past few years, showing that planetary systems are actually the norm in our galaxy and universe, it is very likely that there are also countless moons. Scientists now published research on the question if and how those moons could support life in t...

Jan 09, 2013 05:34 PM EST

First asteroid belts discovered in Vega system, points to exoplanets

Signs of two large asteroid belts around Vega, which is the second brightest star in northern night skies, were reportedly found by astronomers employing the two infrared space telescopes Herschel from the European Space Agency, and Spitzer from NASA.

Jan 09, 2013 12:21 PM EST

Rogue orbit of planet Fomalhaut b could lead to crash in 2032

Newly-released Hubble images of the Fomalhaut system, which was called 'Eye of Sauron' by some, shows a vast debris belt which is wider than previously known, and hosts a rogue planet on a potential collision path.

Jan 07, 2013 07:19 PM EST

461 more Kepler exoplanets found, analysis expects 17 billion Earth-sized planets

Kepler mission scientists announced Monday that a new batch of analysis yielded 461 more exoplanet candidates - and that is from within a relatively small cross-section of our galaxy, bringing the total number of potential planets awaiting confirmation to 2,740. Of the several dozen Earth-sized plan...

Jan 07, 2013 05:47 PM EST

Another 15 exoplanets within habitable zone discovered - by amateur astronomers

The project Planet Hunters today announced the discovery of another 15 exoplanets within the "Goldilocks" zone around their respective stars, where the planet is at the right distance from a star to have liquid water. The project enlists the help of "citizen scientists" to help sort through the huge...

Jan 04, 2013 10:47 AM EST

Planet formation is the norm, thus there are billions in our galaxy, says study

Look up at the night sky and you'll see stars, sure. But you're also seeing planets -- billions and billions of them. At least

Jan 02, 2013 06:02 PM EST

ESO telescope in Chile observed first giant planet birth ever

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope have seen a key stage in the birth of giant planets for the first time. Vast streams of gas are flowing across a gap in the disc of material around a young star. These are the first direct observations of such stream...