Exoplanets in debris disks
Debris disks around main-sequence stars are tenuous belts of dust thought to be produced when asteroids or other planetesimals collide and fragment. They are common: more than about a quarter of all main-sequence stars have debris disks and, since th.....»»
Researchers are spying for signs of life among exoplanet atmospheres
The next generation of advanced telescopes could sharpen the hunt for potential extraterrestrial life by closely scrutinizing the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets, new research suggests......»»
Astronomers analyze masses, orbital properties and atmospheric features of six exoplanets
A recently discovered solar system with six confirmed exoplanets and a possible seventh is boosting astronomers' knowledge of planet formation and evolution. Relying on a globe-spanning arsenal of observatories and instruments, a team led by research.....»»
The next generation LIFE telescope could detect some intriguing biosignatures
The Large Interferometer for Exoplanets (LIFE) project is an ambitious plan to build a space telescope with four independent mirrors. The array would allow the individual mirrors to move closer or farther apart, similar to the way the Very Large Arra.....»»
Research suggests European Alps eroding slower than >10,000 years ago
Deglaciation during the Holocene (last ~17,000 years) has had significant impacts on the surrounding mountainous environments as glaciers retreated and left distinct landforms in their wake, such as debris ridges (moraines) deposited at the snout dur.....»»
Simulations show that exoplanets heated at deeper depths by their host stars display markedly different weather patterns
For many years, most astrophysical models assumed that planets beyond our solar system, known as exoplanets, are heated at similar depths by their host stars (i.e., stars like the sun around which planetary systems are formed). Analyses of recent obs.....»»
TESS discovers nine new "hot Jupiters"
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has discovered nine new "hot Jupiter" exoplanets. One of the newly detected alien worlds is almost four times more massive than Jupiter. The finding was p.....»»
Chameleon AI program classifies objects in satellite images faster
A new AI program can train neural networks using just a handful of images to rapidly characterize in satellite and drone data new objects such as ocean debris, deforestation zones, urban areas and more......»»
This self-eating rocket could be a solution to space junk
Every year, space junk becomes a bigger problem. We saw the International Space Station dodging debris several times over the past few years, and we’ve … The post This self-eating rocket could be a solution to space junk appeared first on.....»»
Information Theory Can Help Us Search for Life on Alien Worlds
Information theory can help us decode signs of biological activity hiding in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets.....»»
Planetesimals are buffeted by wind in their nebula, throwing debris into space: Study
Before planets form around a young star, the protosolar disk is populated with innumerable planetesimals. Over time, these planetesimals combine to form planets, and the core accretion theory explains how that happens. But before there are planets, t.....»»
Researchers release open-source space debris model
MIT's Astrodynamics, Space Robotics, and Controls Laboratory (ARCLab) announced the public beta release of the MIT Orbital Capacity Assessment Tool (MOCAT) during the 2023 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Space Forum Works.....»»
Webb discovers dusty "cat"s tail" in Beta Pictoris System
Beta Pictoris, a young planetary system located just 63 light-years away, continues to intrigue scientists even after decades of in-depth study. It possesses the first dust disk imaged around another star—a disk of debris produced by collisions bet.....»»
NASA telescopes chase down "Green Monster" in star"s debris
By bringing together data from two NASA telescopes, astronomers may have solved a mystery around a bizarre structure found in the debris field of an exploded star. Their work has uncovered new details about the star's remains, and about the explosion.....»»
Fears in Wales over legacy of its coalmining past
It was nearly four years ago but the memory of the landslip that sent 60,000 tons of old mining debris sliding down a Welsh hillside still haunts former miner Jeff Coombes......»»
Astronomers scan hundreds of stars for "anomalous transits"
Telescopes have been collecting copious amounts of data on exoplanets in recent years. One of the most common datasets tracks what are known as transits, when an exoplanet crosses in front of its host star and dims the star's light slightly as it doe.....»»
Exoplanets" climate: It takes nothing to switch from habitable to hell, say researchers
The Earth is a wonderful blue and green dot covered with oceans and life, while Venus is a yellowish sterile sphere that is not only inhospitable but also sterile. However, the difference between the two is only a few degrees in temperature. A team o.....»»
Some icy exoplanets may have habitable oceans and geysers
A NASA study expands the search for life beyond our solar system by indicating that 17 exoplanets (worlds outside our solar system) could have oceans of liquid water, an essential ingredient for life, beneath icy shells. Water from these oceans could.....»»
Astronomers calculate which exoplanets are most likely to have water
Astronomers know of about 60 rocky exoplanets orbiting in the habitable zones of their stars. When they try to determine how habitable these planets might be, detecting water in their atmospheres plays a huge role. But what if there was another way o.....»»
Large exomoons unlikely around Kepler-1625 b and Kepler-1708 b, astronomers say
Only two of the more than 5,300 known exoplanets have so far provided evidence of moons in orbit around them. In observations of the planets Kepler-1625b and Kepler-1708b from the Kepler and Hubble space telescopes, researchers discovered traces of s.....»»
Data from NASA’s Webb Telescope backs up ideas on planet formation
New data confirms the existence of a "snow line" in planet-forming disks. Enlarge / Image of a planet-forming disk, with gaps in between higher-density areas. (credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); C. Brogan, B. Saxton) Where do.....»»