Astronomers snap image of moon-forming disk surrounding an alien world

Astronomers have captured the first clear images of a colossal moon-forming debris disk orbiting a distant alien planet. According to the authors of the new study, the disk has enough material to create three astronomical bodies the size of Earth’s Moo… Continue reading Astronomers snap image of moon-forming disk surrounding an alien world

Individual isotopes measured in exoplanet atmosphere for first time

Astronomers have counted the number of neutrons inside carbon atoms from 2.8 quadrillion km away. The team managed to measure the ratios of carbon isotopes in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time, which can tell us about how it formed.Cont… Continue reading Individual isotopes measured in exoplanet atmosphere for first time

Individual isotopes measured in exoplanet atmosphere for first time

Astronomers have counted the number of neutrons inside carbon atoms from 2.8 quadrillion km away. The team managed to measure the ratios of carbon isotopes in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time, which can tell us about how it formed.Cont… Continue reading Individual isotopes measured in exoplanet atmosphere for first time

Earth-like planets may be lurking in the glare of binary star systems

Double star systems may be concealing a population of potentially habitable Earth-sized planets in their combined glare, according to the results of a newly published study. Roughly half of all stars are thought to exist in binary systems, in which two… Continue reading Earth-like planets may be lurking in the glare of binary star systems

After billions of years in harmony, distant star system will end in chaos

A team of astronomers has used computer modeling to reveal the chaotic fate of a distant star system in which the planets orbit in near perfect synchronization with one another. The study also sheds light on how ancient white dwarf stars that are threa… Continue reading After billions of years in harmony, distant star system will end in chaos

“Rogue planet” exomoons could potentially harbor water and life

Contrary to popular belief, not all planets orbit stars – some drift freely through the cosmos on their own. These cold, dark worlds don’t make great candidates for hosting life, but a new study suggests that their moons could be more habitable than th… Continue reading “Rogue planet” exomoons could potentially harbor water and life

Exoplanets could be used as colossal detectors in hunt for dark matter

Scientists may be able to detect the presence of dark matter by searching for anomalous heat signatures from distant alien worlds. Dark matter is an enigmatic, invisible substance that is thought to make up around 80 percent of the universe’s mass.Cont… Continue reading Exoplanets could be used as colossal detectors in hunt for dark matter

Tectonic activity shown to be possible on tidally locked alien planet

Computer simulations have revealed that a hostile, tidally locked exoplanet located roughly 45 light-years from Earth is capable of hosting tectonic activity on a massive scale. Tectonic activity is considered to be one of the key processes that contri… Continue reading Tectonic activity shown to be possible on tidally locked alien planet

Scientists calculate life expectancy of Earth’s atmospheric oxygen

The Earth has an expiry date – in about five billion years, the Sun will expand and swallow up our home world. But it turns out life on Earth could have a much earlier end point. A new study has found that in about a billion years’ time, the atmosphere… Continue reading Scientists calculate life expectancy of Earth’s atmospheric oxygen

Exoplanet system discovered with strange balance of order and disorder

Astronomers have discovered a nearby system of exoplanets with unusually orderly orbits but disordered densities. Five of the six planets circle the star in a rare rhythmic dance called a resonance chain, and the types of planets are far more shuffled … Continue reading Exoplanet system discovered with strange balance of order and disorder