Exoplanet atmospheres
Astronomers still scratching their heads over population of ocean-world exoplanets
In a recent study submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters, an international team of researchers led by the University of…
Searching for Life on Highly Eccentric Exoplanets
When we think about finding life beyond Earth, especially on exoplanets, we immediately want to search for the next Earth,…
Here are Four Ways JWST Could Detect Alien Life
There are many ways that the James Webb Space Telescope could search for life. Here are four promising ones.
The Heaviest Element Ever Seen in an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere: Barium
Astronomers have spotted barium in the atmosphere of a distant exoplanet. With its 56 protons, you have to run your…
JWST Finds a Clear, Unambiguous Signal for Carbon Dioxide in an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere
An early – and exciting -- science result from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was announced today: the first…
Astronomer Working With Webb Said the new Images “Almost Brought him to Tears.” We’ll see Them on July 12th
The first images taken by James Webb will be released in a little more than a week! According to NASA,…
Hubble Checks the Weather on Hot Jupiters. Forecast: 100% Chance of Hellish Conditions
While the Hubble Space Telescope celebrates 32 years in orbit, like a fine wine, it has only gotten better with…
Astronomers Measure the Atmosphere on a Planet Hundreds of Light-Years Away
In a recent study, an international team of astronomers directly measured the atmospheric composition of a hot Jupiter hundreds of…
An Exoplanet Reaches 2400 C in One Hemisphere. Does it Really Rain Iron?
WASP-76b is an ultra-hot Jupiter about 640 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Pisces. A few years ago it…
Astronomers Detect Clouds on an Exoplanet, and Even Measure Their Altitude
An international research team shows how combining data from multiple observatories allowed them to detect clouds in the atmosphere of…