Astronomers have made the rare and tantalizing discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet 40 light-years away that may be just a little warmer than our own world. The new paper “Gliese 12 b, A Temperate Earth-sized Planet at 12 Parsecs Discovered with TESS and CHEOPS,” has been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. … Read more
Recent discoveries by the James Webb Space Telescope have unveiled surprising details about WASP-107 b, an exoplanet that has intrigued astronomers with its puffy, cotton candy-like appearance. The findings reveal an unexpectedly low amount of methane and a massive core, providing new insights into the planet’s structure and composition. WASP-107 b orbits a star roughly … Read more
Why is the warm gas-giant exoplanet WASP-107 b so puffy? Two independent teams of researchers have an answer. Data collected using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, combined with prior observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, show surprisingly little methane (CH4) in the planet’s atmosphere, indicating that the interior of WASP-107 b must be significantly hotter … Read more
A team of astronomers and citizen scientists has discovered a planet in the habitable zone of an unusual star system, including two stars and potentially another exoplanet. The planet hunters spotted the Neptune-like planet as it crossed in front of its host star, temporarily dimming the star’s light in a way akin to a solar … Read more
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of astronomy by enabling new approaches to data analysis, pattern recognition, and knowledge discovery. From processing vast amounts of observational data to enhancing simulations, AI techniques are enhancing our understanding of the universe and accelerating scientific discoveries. The role of AI in astronomy encompasses a wide range of … Read more
The future of space exploration holds tremendous promise and excitement, with ambitious plans, innovative technologies, and international collaborations poised to expand humanity’s reach into the cosmos. From returning humans to the Moon and exploring Mars to venturing deeper into the solar system and beyond, the next era of space exploration is set to unlock new … Read more
Astrobiology, a multidisciplinary field at the intersection of astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and planetary science, explores the origins, evolution, distribution, and potential for life in the universe. This fascinating realm of scientific inquiry delves into fundamental questions about the nature of life, its cosmic origins, and the conditions required for habitability beyond Earth. From the … Read more
The exploration of planetary systems beyond our solar system has revealed a surprising diversity of worlds, challenging our preconceptions and expanding our understanding of cosmic evolution. From hot Jupiter systems with close-in gas giants to compact multi-planet systems and distant exoplanetary families, the variety of planetary configurations defies simple categorization and underscores the complexity of … Read more
The discovery of exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, has revolutionized our understanding of the universe and the potential for life beyond Earth. This groundbreaking field of astronomy has uncovered a diverse array of alien worlds, ranging from rocky terrestrial planets to gas giants orbiting distant stars. The exploration of exoplanets has expanded our … Read more
Telescopes have been indispensable tools in the field of astronomy, revolutionizing our understanding of the cosmos and shaping the course of scientific inquiry for centuries. From Galileo’s first observations of the Moon and planets to the modern-day marvels of space telescopes, these optical instruments have allowed astronomers to explore distant galaxies, study celestial phenomena, and … Read more
The origin and evolution of the universe have fascinated humanity for millennia. Modern scientific theories, such as the Big Bang theory, provide a framework for understanding these cosmic processes. The universe began as an unimaginably dense and hot singularity around 13.8 billion years ago, expanding rapidly and cooling over time. Through cosmic inflation, galaxies, stars, … Read more
The search for extraterrestrial life is one of the most profound and enduring quests in human history. It represents our curiosity about the possibility of life beyond Earth and our desire to understand our place in the cosmos. Over the centuries, scientific advancements, technological breakthroughs, and philosophical insights have fueled this exploration, leading to a … Read more
Exoplanets, or extrasolar planets, are celestial bodies that orbit stars outside our solar system. These distant worlds have captivated the imagination of scientists and the public alike, offering tantalizing glimpses into the diversity of planetary systems beyond our own. The study of exoplanets has revealed a wealth of wonders, from rocky worlds resembling Earth to … Read more
In the constellation Virgo, 700 light years away from Earth, the planet WASP-39b orbits the star WASP-39. The gas giant, which takes little more than four days to complete one orbit, is one of the best-studied exoplanets. Shortly after its commissioning in July 2022, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope turned its high-precision gaze on the … Read more
If we could detect a clear, unambiguous biosignature on just one of the thousands of exoplanets we know of, it would be a huge, game-changing moment for humanity. But it’s extremely difficult. We simply aren’t in a place where we can be certain that what we’re detecting means what we think or even hope it … Read more
Diamond is the strongest material known. However, another form of carbon has been predicted to be even tougher than diamond. The challenge is how to create it on Earth. The eight-atom body-centered cubic (BC8) crystal is a distinct carbon phase: not diamond, but very similar. BC8 is predicted to be a stronger material, exhibiting a … Read more
On October 19th, 2017, astronomers with the Pann-STARRS survey observed an interstellar object passing through our system—1I/2017 U1 ‘Oumuamua. This was the first time an ISO was detected, confirming that such objects pass through the solar system regularly, as astronomers predicted decades prior. Just two years later, a second object was detected, the interstellar comet … Read more
When a star like our sun reaches the end of its life, it can ingest the surrounding planets and asteroids that were born with it. Now, using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) in Chile, researchers have found a unique signature of this process for the first time—a scar imprinted on the … Read more
The search for habitable exoplanets involves looking for planets with similar conditions to the Earth, such as liquid water, a suitable temperature range and atmospheric conditions. One crucial factor is the planet’s position in the habitable zone, the region around a star where liquid water could potentially exist on the planet’s surface. NASA’s Kepler telescope, … Read more
The study of “exoplanets,” the sci-fi-sounding name for all planets in the cosmos beyond our own solar system, is a fairly new field. Mainly, exoplanet researchers like those in the ExoLab at the University of Kansas use data from space-borne telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and Webb Space Telescope. Whenever news headlines offer … Read more