exoplanets
Have Astronomers Seen a Forming Planet in Action?
Huge disks of dust and gas encircle many young stars. Some contain circular gaps — likely the result of forming planets…
Astronomers Spot Pebble-Size Dust Grains in the Orion Nebula
Stars and planets form out of vast clouds of dust and gas. Small pockets in these clouds collapse under the…
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…
Help a Universe Today Writer Share Stories About Our Search For Earth-like Planets
Since 1995, astronomers have detected thousands of worlds orbiting nearby stars, sparking a race to find the one that most…
First Exoplanet Discovered Beyond the “Snow Line”
Data from NASA’s crippled Kepler space telescope has unleashed a windfall of hot Jupiters — sizzling gas giants that circle…
Distant Stellar Atmospheres Shed Light on How Jupiter-like Planets Form
It’s likely that Jupiter-like planets’ origins root back to either the rapid collapse of a dense cloud or small rocky…
Is Our Solar System Weird?
Is our Solar System normal? Or is it weird? How does the Solar System fit within the strange star systems…
NameExoWorlds, an IAU Worldwide Contest to Name Alien Planets, Continues Controversy
The International Astronomical Union has unveiled a worldwide contest, NameExoWorlds, which gives the public a role in naming planets and…
Join the Live Discussion: The Hunt for Other Worlds Heats Up
As readers of Universe Today know, exoplanets are one of the hottest topics in astronomy today. In just the past…
Nearby Super-Earth is Best Habitable Candidate So Far, Astronomers Say
On a clear night, you might be able to spot the red dwarf star Gliese 832 through a backyard telescope,…