Extrasolar Planets
Red Dwarfs Have Teeny Tiny Habitable Zones
As space telescopes get larger and more sensitive, the search for Earth-sized worlds surrounding other stars is about to get…
Researchers Find a Planet, Right Where They Expected
Before Neptune was discovered in the 1840s, astronomers predicted its location based on how it was interacting with Uranus. Once…
Some Stars Can Go through a Second Stage of Planet Formation
Newly forming planetary systems follow a routine. They collapse down from a cloud of gas and dust to form a…
If You Crashed Neptune and Jupiter Together…
Our early Solar System was a violent place. For hundreds of millions of years, large planetoids smashed together, forming larger…
Earth, Barely Habitable?
Our home planet has been often described in glowing, nurturing terms. A cradle for life, right in the goldilocks zone.…
Studying Planets With Sunglasses
While finding a planet orbiting another star is incredibly exciting, it's almost becoming commonplace. The current exoplanet count is up…
ET Would Know There’s Life on Earth
It seems impossible to believe, but astronomers are now making plans to reach for the brass ring of planet hunting:…
More Evidence that Gliese 581 Has Planets in the Habitable Zone
The discovery of Gliese 581 was one of the most exciting moments in extrasolar planetary researcher. Astronomers found an Earth-massed…
What Does it Take to Destroy a Gas Giant?
To destroy a terrestrial planet, you need the Death Star. But what will you do if you want to take…
Atmosphere of an Extrasolar Planet Measured
Good timing. Just as Nick was mentioning how astronomers might be able to detect vegetation on extrasolar planets, we get…