As far as we know, life needs water. Due to this simple truth, astronomers and astrobiologists have naturally focused their efforts on identifying exoplanets that might harbor liquid oceans. Water in its liquid form can exist on a planet’s surface, where direct heat from its host star can keep the […]
exoplanets
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While watching the atmosphere of seven “hot Jupiters” blow away, a suitcase-sized cubesat has found some surprising variations in how quickly the giant, bloated worlds are evaporating. CUTE, which stands for the Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment, was launched in September 2021 and orbits the Earth at an altitude of 525 […]
If aliens do exist, one of the chief concerns is that they could be far more advanced than us — and a lot less friendly. Scientists have tended to pour cold water on this suggestion because they say it is a lot more likely that extraterrestrial life will be primitive and more […]
NASA has revealed how its next big space telescope will allow astronomers to peer deeper than ever before into the heart of the Milky Way after it launches in May 2027. According to the space agency, the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, or just Roman, will provide an unparalleled view of […]
Jupiter-like planets may be a common occurrence in the interplanetary space near our solar system, especially around stars similar to our sun, a new study suggests. If future observations confirm this hypothesis, it would mean the architecture of our solar system is not as uncommon as it is conventionally considered […]
An illustration shows the Habitable Worlds Telescope in orbit around Earth with its starshade unfolded Planning is well underway for NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), which will scour the atmospheres of planets outside the solar system for telltale signs of alien life. This week, a workshop was held at the […]
For years, scientists have been debating the odds of life existing on seven fascinating planets orbiting the Trappist-1 star, the most famous planetary system outside our own. The reason? Although several of these planets orbit in their star’s habitable zone, the region around a stellar body where liquid water can […]
An illustration of the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1f, which appears to be tidally locked NASA/JPL-Caltech Some alien planets thought to be locked in place around their parent star may actually be able to rotate, creating stable climates long enough for potential life to arise – as long as any inhabitants didn’t mind […]