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28 results for "exoplanets"
Astronomers discovered a puzzling solar system 116 light-years away where a rocky planet orbits farthest from its star, defying expectations and offering fresh clues about how planets come to be. This rare finding could rewrite what we know about planetary birth.
NASA's next great space observatory has finished assembly and is heading toward a late 2026 launch. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will scan the universe at an unprecedented scale, hunting for thousands of new planets and unlocking mysteries about dark energy.
Scientists launched a telescope on a balloon that floats 25 miles above Earth to study distant planets in ways even the James Webb telescope can't. The mission could double our understanding of alien atmospheres while costing a fraction of traditional space telescopes.
Scientists discovered a solar system that flips our understanding of how planets form, with a rocky planet orbiting beyond gas giants in a pattern never seen before. The finding could reshape what we know about planetary birth around the universe's most common stars.
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope found hydrogen sulfide around four gas giant planets 133 light-years away, solving mysteries about how massive planets form. The breakthrough technique will help astronomers search for life on distant worlds.
Astronomers discovered four planets orbiting a small star in a pattern never seen before: rocky, gaseous, gaseous, then rocky again. The find challenges everything scientists thought they knew about how planets form around stars.
Astronomers discovered a rare planetary system that formed backward, with rocky planets at the edge instead of the center. The find shows the universe creates worlds in more diverse ways than we ever imagined.
Astronomers discovered a solar system that breaks all the rules of planet formation, with rocky planets sandwiching gas giants in a pattern never seen before. The finding could rewrite our understanding of how planets form around the most common stars in the universe.
Scientists discovered Earth formed under incredibly precise chemical conditions that allowed it to retain the exact elements needed for life. Most planets miss this narrow sweet spot, making our world a fortunate cosmic exception.
Scientists discovered Earth formed under incredibly precise chemical conditions that let it keep phosphorus and nitrogen, two elements essential for life. Most planets miss this narrow sweet spot, making our world a fortunate exception in the universe.
Volunteer citizen scientists discovered a planet nearly identical to Earth in size and orbit, circling a sun-like star just 146 light-years away. While currently frozen, scientists say the right atmosphere could make it warm enough for liquid water.
Astronomers discovered four "baby" planets caught in the act of transforming into the galaxy's most common type of world. The breakthrough solves a mystery about how super-Earths and sub-Neptunes take shape.
A PhD student discovered an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone by manually searching old telescope data that algorithms missed. The find gives scientists a rare target to study with next-generation telescopes.
A citizen scientist discovered a potentially habitable planet by manually combing through old NASA data that automated searches overlooked. The find has astronomers eager to point their most powerful telescopes at this rare Earth-sized world.
Astronomers have now confirmed more than 6,000 planets orbiting distant stars, a milestone that helps scientists estimate how common life-friendly worlds might be. NASA's upcoming telescope could find thousands more, especially Earth-like planets in habitable zones.
Scientists using the world's largest radio telescope have captured the first detailed images of planetary systems going through their violent "teenage" phase, solving a mystery about how planets grow up. The discovery helps explain Earth's moon formation and fills a major gap in our understanding of how solar systems evolve. #
Australian astronomers have discovered a planet candidate nearly identical to Earth's size, orbiting a Sun-like star with a 50% chance of being habitable. The find brings scientists one step closer to finding Earth's twin after 30 years of searching.
Rocky planets up to six times Earth's size could generate powerful magnetic fields from layers of molten rock, not just their cores. This discovery suggests far more alien worlds might protect potential life from deadly cosmic radiation than scientists previously thought.
NASA's Roman Space Telescope will peer into the heart of the Milky Way starting in 2026, discovering over 1,000 new planets and revealing whether Earth-like worlds are common. The mission will create the first complete census of planets across our galaxy.
NASA's upgraded ExoMiner++ AI just identified 7,000 potential new planets hiding in telescope data, and the tool is now free for anyone to use. The breakthrough could help scientists discover worlds faster than ever before.
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