Space and astronomy news
The ESA launched Gaia in 2013 with one overarching goal: to map more than one billion stars in the Milky Way. Its vast collection of data is frequently used in published research. Gaia is an ambitious mission, though it seldom makes headlines on its own. But that could change.
A new study recommends we stop looking for megastructures and start searching for advanced civilizations who have moved multiple planets in their star’s habitable zone.
With JWST safely in space, researchers are designing the next generation of space telescope that could Earth-sized worlds orbiting sunlike stars. Chinese scientists released a concept paper this week for the Tianlin mission, a 6-meter UV/Optical/IR space telescope, which could begin operations in 2045. This telescope would search for rocky planets in the habitable zones around nearby stars and search for biosignatures using direct imaging. The team estimates they could obtain the spectrum of 20 candidate exoplanets in the first five years of operation.
A new study estimates there could be hundreds of rogue planets nearby that we could explore for signs of extraterrestrial life!
One big question about Earth’s formation is, where did all the water come from? New data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows newly forming planets in a system 370 light-years away are surrounded by water vapor in their orbits. Although astronomers have detected water vapor in protoplanetary disks before, this is the first …
Continue reading “JWST Sees Newly Forming Planets Swimming in Water”
According to a new study, JWST is powerful enough to detect the chemicals in the atmospheres of various terrestrial planets and could give a hint if there’s life there.
A new study reveals how rogue planets could have “Ocean World” moons that may support life.
The TOLIMAN space telescope will search for exoplanets next door, and has contracted with EnduroSat to make that happen.
Creating rocky planets is a messy, dangerous, hot business. Planetesimals accrete together, which creates heat and pressure on the newborn world. The nearby adolescent star bombards them with intense radiation. That likely “bakes off” any surface oceans, lakes, or rivers, which is a disaster if you’re looking for places where life might arise or exist. …
Continue reading “Planets Might Protect their Water Until their Star Settles Down”
Can low-mass stars play host to giant, Jupiter-sized planets? Theories of planet formation suggest that it’s highly unlikely. But a team of scientists in the UK found that it’s possible, though rare.