Tagged: exoplanets

Astronomers have discovered a number of “super-puff” exoplanets in the Kepler 51 star system that are as dense as cotton candy. Utilizing data from the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers found fewer than 15 of the planets that are almost as big as Jupiter, but have...

The tally of potentially habitable alien planets may have to be revised downward a bit. To date, NASA’s prolific Kepler space telescope has discovered about 30 roughly Earth-size exoplanets in their host stars’ “habitable zone” — the range of orbital distances at which liquid water...

Researchers have discovered 15 new planets around cool stars known as red dwarfs, and one of those planets might be able to host liquid water on its surface. In a new study, the researchers combined space telescope data with follow-up ground investigation to observe several...

Even on alien worlds covered by water, a new study shows that there’s a chance for life to survive for a long time — despite previous research showing that’s unlikely. Past research has said that these so-called “water worlds” could be unfriendly to life because...

Can amateur astronomers spot exoplanets? Of course not. Who do you think you are? Planet-hunting outside our solar system is only for those with advanced science degrees, lab coats and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s phone number in their cell phones. The rest of us can spend...

Along with the singer Björk, the Northern Lights, one of Iceland’s most engaging products is the science-fiction video game “EVE Online.” Set in the distant future, the massively multiplayer online game allows players to roam thousands of star systems in search of adventure. The 14-year-old...

Humanity is experiencing a revolution in astronomy. Until recently, we’ve depended on the electromagnetic spectrum (i.e. light) to make discoveries from our solar system’s backyard to the furthest-most reaches of the cosmos by using telescopes. Now, with the first historic detection of gravitational waves on...

“First Life” Copyright 2015 Marc Dantonio In this first of a series of articles to come on the scientific search for extraterrestrial life, we explore the magical place around stars called the Habitable Zone. Known by another name, the “Goldilocks Zone”, this location is prime...

They say every star up there has at least one planet zipping around it. Add it up and it means the Milky Way is home to 160 billion exoplanets, give or take. That’s too many. Space, the final frontier, was so much more intriguing when...

Three infant planets have been found orbiting a young star 330 light-years from Earth, in the constellation of Sagittarius. Two independent teams of astronomers have uncovered convincing evidence that these three young planets are in orbit around an infant star known as HD 163296. To...