Exoplanets
Latest about Exoplanets
![This artist's rendition shows one possible appearance for the planet HD 219134b, the nearest confirmed rocky exoplanet found to date outside our solar system. The planet is 1.6 times the size of Earth, and whips around its star in just three days. Scientists predict that the scorching-hot planet -- known to be rocky through measurements of its mass and size -- would have a rocky, partially molten surface with geological activity, including possibly volcanoes.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9zsLkba7JAfNMAXf94ftg-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9zsLkba7JAfNMAXf94ftg-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9zsLkba7JAfNMAXf94ftg-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9zsLkba7JAfNMAXf94ftg-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9zsLkba7JAfNMAXf94ftg-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9zsLkba7JAfNMAXf94ftg-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9zsLkba7JAfNMAXf94ftg-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9zsLkba7JAfNMAXf94ftg-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
The oldest continents in the Milky Way may be 5 billion years older than Earth's
By Briley Lewis published
Several exoplanets at the edge of our galaxy could have formed continents — and advanced life — 5 billion years earlier than Earth, new research suggests.
![An artist’s impression of the exoplanet WASP-17b, which may contain clouds of quartz in its atmosphere.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4UpUv9osGoBZSMgMkgDNJZ-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4UpUv9osGoBZSMgMkgDNJZ-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4UpUv9osGoBZSMgMkgDNJZ-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4UpUv9osGoBZSMgMkgDNJZ-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4UpUv9osGoBZSMgMkgDNJZ-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4UpUv9osGoBZSMgMkgDNJZ-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4UpUv9osGoBZSMgMkgDNJZ-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4UpUv9osGoBZSMgMkgDNJZ-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
James Webb telescope detects alien planet with clouds made of quartz
By Joanna Thompson published
The exoplanet WASP-17b's atmosphere is full of quartz clouds, according to a new James Webb Space Telescope observations.
![This illustration shows one possible scenario for the hot, rocky exoplanet called 55 Cancri e, which is nearly two times as wide as Earth. New data from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope show that the planet has extreme temperature swings.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yShq5z5vK2gPL2g52TtpLo-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yShq5z5vK2gPL2g52TtpLo-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yShq5z5vK2gPL2g52TtpLo-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yShq5z5vK2gPL2g52TtpLo-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yShq5z5vK2gPL2g52TtpLo-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yShq5z5vK2gPL2g52TtpLo-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yShq5z5vK2gPL2g52TtpLo-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yShq5z5vK2gPL2g52TtpLo-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Mysterious signals from 'hell planet' 40 light-years from Earth could finally be solved by James Webb Space Telescope
By Paul Sutter published
The hellish super-Earth '55 Cancri e' may be constantly losing and re-growing its atmosphere, a new study of the planet's strange transit signals suggests.
![A blue planet with a distant red star in the background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fh6PUhM5vnDryy5epCR5GR-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fh6PUhM5vnDryy5epCR5GR-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fh6PUhM5vnDryy5epCR5GR-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fh6PUhM5vnDryy5epCR5GR-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fh6PUhM5vnDryy5epCR5GR-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fh6PUhM5vnDryy5epCR5GR-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fh6PUhM5vnDryy5epCR5GR-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fh6PUhM5vnDryy5epCR5GR-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
James Webb telescope sees potential signs of alien life in the atmosphere of a distant 'Goldilocks' water world
By Harry Baker published
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has detected potential traces of dimethyl sulfide, a chemical only known to be created by phytoplankton on Earth, in the atmosphere of an exoplanet believed to have its own liquid ocean.
![James Webb Space Telescope in outer space.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZiJAqQTXetp4qfM7YemRaA-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZiJAqQTXetp4qfM7YemRaA-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZiJAqQTXetp4qfM7YemRaA-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZiJAqQTXetp4qfM7YemRaA-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZiJAqQTXetp4qfM7YemRaA-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZiJAqQTXetp4qfM7YemRaA-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZiJAqQTXetp4qfM7YemRaA-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZiJAqQTXetp4qfM7YemRaA-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
James Webb telescope could detect life on Earth from across the galaxy, new study suggests
By Harry Baker published
Researchers have shown that if the James Webb Space Telescope was pointed at Earth from a distant star, it could detect the signatures of intelligent life in our planet's atmosphere.
![Illustration of a white dwarf star next to a large, hot planet](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9Tv76bS3mQ5NWhr9ZZkHB-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9Tv76bS3mQ5NWhr9ZZkHB-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9Tv76bS3mQ5NWhr9ZZkHB-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9Tv76bS3mQ5NWhr9ZZkHB-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9Tv76bS3mQ5NWhr9ZZkHB-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9Tv76bS3mQ5NWhr9ZZkHB-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9Tv76bS3mQ5NWhr9ZZkHB-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z9Tv76bS3mQ5NWhr9ZZkHB-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Bizarre 'failed star' the size of Jupiter is 2,000 degrees hotter than the sun
By Joanna Thompson published
This Jupiter-size object is 80 times denser than a planet and hotter than the sun.
![Four spirals of yellow gas swirl around a distant star. At the center, blue blotches reveal where gas is collapsing into new planets](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7v6CHYEAeBNCfn2vtWxarR-320-80.png 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7v6CHYEAeBNCfn2vtWxarR-450-80.png 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7v6CHYEAeBNCfn2vtWxarR-500-80.png 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7v6CHYEAeBNCfn2vtWxarR-650-80.png 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7v6CHYEAeBNCfn2vtWxarR-840-80.png 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7v6CHYEAeBNCfn2vtWxarR-970-80.png 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7v6CHYEAeBNCfn2vtWxarR-1024-80.png 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7v6CHYEAeBNCfn2vtWxarR-1200-80.png 1200w)
A new, Jupiter-size planet is on the verge of being born, and astronomers have incredible images of it
By Brandon Specktor published
A gorgeous new image of a star system 5,000 light-years from Earth could finally explain how Jupiter-size planets are born from chaotic fields of gas.
![A sub-radio image of the system PDS 70, showing its star in the center; the orbit of a Jupiter-sized planet as a thick-band; and an accompanying debris cloud as a thin band.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3qQGf2J5vB2PtoMZPpBuJ-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3qQGf2J5vB2PtoMZPpBuJ-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3qQGf2J5vB2PtoMZPpBuJ-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3qQGf2J5vB2PtoMZPpBuJ-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3qQGf2J5vB2PtoMZPpBuJ-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3qQGf2J5vB2PtoMZPpBuJ-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3qQGf2J5vB2PtoMZPpBuJ-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3qQGf2J5vB2PtoMZPpBuJ-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
1st known 'Trojan' planets discovered locked in the exact same orbit around a star
By Ben Turner published
A distant Jupiter-size planet could have the shattered remains of a smaller sibling in its tow.
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