347 results
347 results for: exoplanet
- Planetary Science
A chemical ‘Goldilocks zone’ may limit which planets can host life
Life needs nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. But without the right balance of oxygen, these elements get locked away in planets’ cores.
- Astronomy
This inside-out planetary system has astronomers scratching their heads
A rocky exoplanet in the LHS 1903 system defies planet formation models, hinting that gravitational upheaval reshaped the red dwarf’s four worlds.
- Astronomy
New Hubble images may solve the case of a disappearing exoplanet
A massive collision between two asteroid-sized bodies around a nearby star offers a rare look at the violent process of planetary construction.
- Astronomy
Against the odds, a burbling lava planet retains an atmosphere
The James Webb Space Telescope detected an atmosphere on a lava-covered exoplanet, evidence that small planets close to stars can have atmospheres.
- Astronomy
Some planets might home brew their own water
Tests on olivine hint that water-rich exoplanets could generate H2O internally, possibly explaining ocean worlds and even some of Earth’s early water.
- Astronomy
A new hunt for an Earth analog begins
The Terra Hunting Experiment will track the wobbles of dozens of stars nightly for years in the most focused hunt yet for an Earth twin.
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Math puzzle: The homesick rover
Solve the math puzzle from our February 2026 issue, where we plan a return passage for a robotic explorer that doesn’t want to explore.
- Planetary Science
In a first, the Webb telescope found a planet by actually ‘seeing’ it
Finding a Saturn-sized world around the young star TWA 7 could pave the way for the Webb space telescope’s direct observation of other exoplanets.
- Life
A barrage of radiation couldn’t kill this hardy life-form
A type of lichen was able to survive extreme UV radiation in the lab, suggesting that ozone protection might not be required for life on exoplanets.
- Planetary Science
A giant planet may orbit our closest sunlike neighbor
Alpha Centauri A, four light-years from Earth, may host a gas giant. If confirmed, no Earthlike planets orbit in the star’s habitable zone.
- Earth
Earth’s stratosphere is a mysterious superhighway for microbes
Well-known microbes that grow on our crops, our gardens, even our skin have been found thriving at two to three times the flying height of a commercial jetliner.
- Space
How realistic is Project Hail Mary?
Ryan Gosling is on a mission to save the sun — and Earth — from star-killing microbes. Science News dissects the science behind the sci-fi movie.
