exoplanets – Astronomy Now

Scientists bid Kepler probe final goodnight and farewell

18 November 2018 Astronomy Now

Flight controllers sent a final set of commands to the exoplanet-hunting Kepler spacecraft, shutting the spacecraft down after it finally ran out of propellant, ending a spectacular mission.

Super-Earth found orbiting Barnard’s Star just six light years away

14 November 2018 Astronomy Now

Astronomers analysing 20 years of data precisely charting the position of Barnard’s Star some six light years away have discovered the second closest exoplanet to Earth.

Planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft out of fuel, ending mission

30 October 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s exoplanet-hunting Kepler spacecraft has final run out of fuel, forcing its retirement after an extended 9.5-year mission that saw the discovery of 2,681 confirmed planets to date and 2,899 more candidates.

First evidence of ‘exomoon’ found in Kepler data

3 October 2018 Astronomy Now

Astronomers reviewing data collected by the planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft have found evidence for a large exomoon orbiting a gas giant 8,000 light years away. If confirmed, it would mark the first detection of a moon in another solar system.

Exoplanet found orbiting Mr. Spock’s home star

19 September 2018 Astronomy Now

An automated telescope has found a super-Earth orbiting the star 40 Eridani A, famous to Star Trek fans as Science Officer Spock’s home star. It is twice the size of Earth and completes an orbit every 42 days.

Exoplanet-hunter TESS captures razor-sharp ‘first light’ images

18 September 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite’s four cameras have captured a razor-sharp “first light” image of the southern sky, demonstrating the photographic prowess needed to hunt down planets around nearby stars.

U.S. National Academies recommend imaging exoplanet telescope

6 September 2018 Astronomy Now

An influential panel of senior U.S. scientists and administrators recommends that NASA build a large exoplanet imaging telescope to answer fundamental questions how common Earth-like planets – and life – might be across the galaxy.

New database helps identify potentially ‘life friendly’ stars

4 September 2018 Astronomy Now

A new database lists the chemical compositions of more than 6,000 nearby stars and the abundances of elements from hydrogen to lead, giving astronomers a guide to stars that may host potentially habitable planets.

Putting a young exoplanet on the scales for the first time

20 August 2018 Astronomy Now

Using data from ESA’s Gaia and Hipparcos satellites, astronomers have managed to deduce the mass of a giant exoplanet orbiting Beta Pictoris by studying subtle changes in the star’s motion over a quarter of a century.

Nothing special about ingredients making up our Solar System

19 August 2018 Astronomy Now

Analysis of more than two dozen relatively nearby solar systems shows the elements that went into their construction are broadly similar to what is found in Earth’s solar family, increasing confidence that Earth-like exoplanets may be common.