exoplanets

Luis Calçada, a science visualization artist who works with the European Southern Observatory, chose another hot Jupiter: Vega b.“This star, which is only 25 light-years away from us, is central to Carl Sagan’s novel ‘Contact,’” Mr.…

In the 1980s, we knew of no planets outside our Solar System. This week, NASA announced more than 5,000 exoplanets. It’s quite the leap from the discovery of an odd set of planets around a dead star in 1992 that slowly opened the…

Some of the best movies are origin stories. When we know where a superhero is coming from, then we can understand why they do what they do. The same goes for planets: knowing how they formed is key in understanding their internal…

Not all planetary systems are alike. Out there in the big, wide galaxy, a number of different configurations have been spotted, some vastly different from our home system. These include extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, that orbit not…

Artist impression of an earth-like exoplanet. Credit: NASA Life thrives at stable temperatures. On Earth, this is facilitated by the carbon…

Is there life beyond our solar system? A team of international astronomers has taken one step closer to answering this time-old question.New research published on Tuesday has uncovered what could be an important clue in understanding if…

Vega is arguably one of the prettiest stars in the night sky. Brilliant and blue, it's the sparkling sapphire that marks the constellation Lyra high in the northern sky. It's one of the brightest stars in the sky, due to it…

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2020 August 18 Explanation: Do other stars have…