Exoplanets

Astronomy

AI has found an 8-planet system like ours in Kepler data

An AI spotted an eighth planet circling a distant star, unseating the solar system as the sole record-holder for most known planets.

Astronomy

Seven Earth-sized planets entered the spotlight this year

The discovery of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a single cool star fuels a debate over what counts as good news in the search for life outside the solar system.

Astronomy

Hot, rocky exoplanets are the scorched cores of former gas giants

Hot, rocky exoplanets are probably the scorched cores of former gas giants, so astronomers shouldn’t trust them for information about true Earth twins.

Astronomy

David Kipping seeks new and unexpected worlds

Astronomer David Kipping became “the moon guy” by deciding no idea is too crazy.

Planetary Science

Readers were curious about rogue planets, exomoons and more

Readers had questions about rogue planets, human arrival in Australia, and exomoons.

Astronomy

Tabby’s star is probably just dusty, and still not an alien megastructure

New looks at older data on the weirdly flickering Tabby’s star muddy possible explanations — but it’s still probably not aliens.

Planetary Science

Moon had a magnetic field for at least a billion years longer than thought

The moon’s magnetic field could have lasted until about a billion years ago.

Astronomy

Astronomers may have found an exomoon, and Hubble is going to check

A distant object may be the first exomoon detected.

Astronomy

Fewer big rogue planets roam the galaxy, recount shows

Jupiter-mass planets without parent solar systems are less common than astronomers thought, a new study suggests.

Planetary Science

The moon might have had a heavy metal atmosphere with supersonic winds

Heat from a glowing infant Earth could have vaporized the moon’s metals into an atmosphere as thick as Mars’, a new simulation shows.

Astronomy

Kepler shows small exoplanets are either super-Earths or mini-Neptunes

The final catalog from the Kepler space telescope splits Earthlike exoplanets into two groups and pinpoints 10 new rocky planets in the habitable zone.

Astronomy

Life might have a shot on planets orbiting dim red stars

The number of planets in the habitable zone of dim red suns, known as M dwarfs, is growing. They’re a good place to look for life.