Extrasolar Planets
8 stories in this section.
NASA launches twin spacecraft to solve the mystery of Mars’ lost atmosphere
An artist’s concept shows the two ESCAPADE spacecraft at Mars. The ESCAPADE mission is the first to coordinate two spacecraft in orbit around a…
Powerful AI finds 100+ hidden planets in NASA data including rare and extreme worlds
Artist’s impression of an ultra-short-period planet. Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Schaller (for STScI) Astronomers at the University of Warwick have confirmed more than…
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could reveal millions of invisible neutron stars
NASA’s Roman Telescope could finally uncover the Milky Way’s hidden neutron stars by spotting the tiny gravitational fingerprints they leave on starlight. Credit: NASA…
Scientists discover towering red auroras reaching deep into space above Japan
Low-latitude aurora observed on June 28, 2024, in Yoichi, Hokkaido, Japan. Credit: Tomohiro M. Nakayama On certain nights in Japan, people may notice a…
Why scientists fear we’re missing evidence of extraterrestrial life
Alien life might already be leaving clues — the real problem could be that we’re not recognizing them. Credit: Shutterstock What if evidence of…
The galaxy’s coldest “stars” may actually be alien megastructures
A new study reveals where Dyson spheres may be hiding and how astronomers could finally spot these legendary alien megastructures. Credit: Stock Since physicist…
Are there aliens on exoplanet K2-18b? Scientists just scanned it for signals
Illustration of exoplanet K2-18b. A massive search of K2-18b found no alien radio signals, but it showed we’re getting much better at listening for…
China’s Chang’e-6 reveals why solar wind hits the Moon’s two sides differently
Schematic illustration of the contrasting solar wind environments experienced by the lunar nearside and farside under the influence of Earth’s magnetosphere. Credit: Xuhang Zhang…