exoplanets – Astronomy Now

HST finds water vapor in atmosphere of habitable zone exoplanet

11 September 2019 Astronomy Now

For the first time, astronomers have detected the signature of water vapour in the atmosphere of an exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of its host star.

Exoplanet traced to home star in binary system

5 September 2019 Astronomy Now

Using a technique known as speckle imaging, astronomers have pinned down the orbit of an exoplanet in a binary star system.

Evidence found for volcanic ‘extreme Io’ exomoon

3 September 2019 Astronomy Now

Sodium gas detected near a giant exoplant 550 light years away may indicated the presence of a volcanically active exomoon.

Earth’s chemical fingerprint could help identify habitable exoplanets

29 August 2019 Astronomy Now

Canadian astronomers have determined Earth’s spectral “fingerprint,” the characteristics that would indicate whether an exoplanet might have a viable biosphere.

Exoplanet found in unusually long, elliptical orbit

28 August 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers find an exoplanet three times more massive than Jupiter in an extreme elliptical orbit, another milestone for the radial velocity detection technique.

Second giant planet found orbiting Beta Pictoris

22 August 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have found a second giant planet orbiting the nearby star Beta Pictoris where a solar system is in the process of forming.

Analysis shows 1-in-6 stars may host Earth-size planets

16 August 2019 Astronomy Now

A new analysis shows roughly Earth-size planets in habitable-zone orbits can likely be found around one in six relatively nearby Sun-like stars.

A hot planet, shaped like a football, spews heavy metals

5 August 2019 William Harwood

The Hubble Space Telescope has detected iron and magnesium gas spewing from a hellish exoplanet being gravitationally warped by its nearby host star.

TESS helps astronomers pinpoint possibly habitable exoplanet

31 July 2019 Astronomy Now

Following a lead provided by the TESS planet-hunting spacecraft, astronomers have found two more worlds lurking in a solar system 31 light years from Earth.

TESS completes first year of operation; begins mapping northern sky

28 July 2019 Astronomy Now

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite – TESS – mapped the southern sky during its first year of operation and is now imaging the northern sky in search of exoplanets and other phenomena.