exoplanets
Competition Will Let You Name an Exoplanet
When it comes to naming all those exoplanets that astronomers keep finding, it's up to the International Astronomical Union (IAU)…
In Order to Reveal Planets Around Another star, a Starshade Needs to Fly 40,000 km Away from a Telescope, Aligned Within Only 1 Meter
If NASA sends a Starshade into space, it will need to perform some very accurate formation flying with the space…
Astronomers See Adorable Baby Planets Forming Around a Young Star
370 light years away from us, a solar system is making baby planets. The star at the center of it…
18 – Yes, 18 – New Earth-sized Exoplanets have been Found in Kepler’s Data
Scientists working with data from the Kepler mission have discovered an additional 18 Earth-sized worlds. The team used a newer,…
Small, Tough Planets can Survive the Death of Their Star
Sad fact of the Universe is that all stars will die, eventually. And when they do, what happens to their…
Habitability of Planets Will Depend on Their Interiors
A lot of the headlines and discussion around the habitability of exoplanets is focused on their proximity to their star…
Which Habitable Zones are the Best to Actually Search for Life?
A new study conducted by an international team of scientists examines what the term "habitable zone" means and how next-generation…
It Took 10 Years to Confirm the First Planet Ever Found by Kepler
Even though astronomy people are fond of touting the number of exoplanets found by the Kepler spacecraft, those planets aren't…
Complex Life Might Require a Very Narrow Habitable Zone
A new study has placed new constraints on the emergence of complex life, which effectively narrows what what we would…
Meet WFIRST, The Space Telescope with the Power of 100 Hubbles
WFIRST ain't your grandma's space telescope. Despite having the same size mirror as the surprisingly reliable Hubble Space Telescope, clocking…