ExoMoons
Incredible! Astronomers see a Moon-Forming Disk Around a Newly Forming Planet
Planetary formation is a complicated, multilayered process. Even with the influx of data on exoplanets, there are still only two…
The Moons of Rogue Planets Could Have Liquid Surface Water and Thick Atmospheres. They Could be Habitable
A rocky world might not need a star to be habitable. It might just need to orbit a large gas…
Gas and Dust Stop Planets From Eating Their Moons
A team of Japanese researchers have created a new model for moon formation that explains how planets like Saturn end…
Planet Sizes Matter for Habitability Too.
In order to be considered habitable, a planet needs to have liquid water. Cells, the smallest unit of life, need…
Here’s a First. Astronomers See a Moon Forming Around a Baby Exoplanet
Astronomers have discovered, for the first time, moons forming in the disk of debris around a large exoplanet. Astronomers have…
First Exomoon Found! A Neptune-Sized Moon Orbiting a Jupiter-Sized Planet
A pair of astronomers combing through data from the Kepler spacecraft have discovered the first exomoon. The moon is in…
Moons of Confusion: Why Finding Extraterrestrial Life may be Harder than we Thought
Astronomers and planetary scientists thought they knew how to find evidence of life on planets beyond our Solar System. But,…
Can Radio Waves Lead to Exomoons?
I firmly believe that our next greatest discovery will be detecting an exomoon in orbit around a distant exoplanet. Although…
Magnetic Fields are Crucial to Exomoon Habitability
Astronomers believe that hidden deep within the wealth of data collected by NASA’s Kepler mission are minuscule signatures confirming the…
The Hunt for Exomoons Begins!
The latest exciting undertaking in exoplanet research is the search for exomoons. A team led by Dr. David Kipping at…