News Astronomy

First known exoplanets have few counterparts

Pulsar survey finds no new examples of orbiting worlds

pulsar PSR B1257+12

RARE FIND  The three rocky planets around pulsar PSR B1257+12 (illustrated) were the first confirmed exoplanets. Pulsar-orbiting planets are quite rare, a new survey suggests. 

JPL-Caltech/NASA

By Christopher Crockett

- More than 2 years ago

Planets and pulsars, the whirling cores of dead massive stars, appear to be an unlikely match. Most of these pulsating stellar corpses can’t nurture fledgling planetary systems, researchers suggest.