Star-planet interactions as a research area examine the coupled physical processes between a star and its close-orbiting planets, emphasizing how stellar radiation, winds, and magnetic fields influence planetary atmospheres, magnetospheres, interiors, and orbital evolution, and how planets can in turn affect stellar activity and rotation. This field integrates stellar astrophysics, exoplanet science, plasma physics, and magnetohydrodynamics to study phenomena such as atmospheric escape, induced stellar flares, tidal dissipation, spin-orbit synchronization, and magnetic star-planet coupling. It relies on multiwavelength observations, numerical simulations, and theoretical modeling to constrain planetary habitability, system evolution, and the detectability of exoplanets through their signatures on host stars.
In December 2023, scientists looking at Mars data stumbled across something completely unexpected—observations of an atmospheric effect never before seen in the Red Planet's atmosphere. Using instruments aboard NASA's MAVEN ...
Planetary Sciences
May 18, 2026
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44
An international team including the University of Bern (UNIBE) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE), members of the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS, has succeeded in mapping the climate of rocky exoplanets ...
Astrobiology
Apr 13, 2026
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81
The criteria for finding an Earth-like planet unofficially comes down to two things: water and the habitable zone. But a phenomenon known as atmospheric escape often "escapes" the minds of many astronomy fans, and it turns ...
Planetary Sciences
Mar 30, 2026
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25
How does a star affect the makeup of its planets? And what does this mean for the habitability of distant worlds? Carnegie's Luke Bouma is exploring a new way to probe this critical question—using naturally occurring space ...
Astrobiology
Mar 30, 2026
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11
Up until now, exoplanet surveys have mostly focused on nearby, bright stars that are sun-like or are red dwarfs, which are known to frequently host planets. While astronomers have discovered thousands of planets this way, ...
Aging stars can completely destroy their planets. When a star reaches the end of its life on the main sequence, it goes through dramatic changes. And those changes don't just dictate the star's fate; they can also dictate ...
Astronomy
Feb 4, 2026
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36
How does a star affect the makeup of its planets? And what does this mean for the habitability of distant worlds? Carnegie's Luke Bouma is exploring a new way to probe this critical question—using naturally occurring space ...
Astronomy
Jan 7, 2026
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120
One of the main questions in exoplanet science concerns M dwarfs (red dwarfs) and the habitability of exoplanets that orbit them. These stars are known for their prolific and energetic flaring, and that's a problem. M dwarfs ...
Astrobiology
Jan 6, 2026
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28
Stars and planets are inextricably linked. They form together and stars shape the fate of planets. Stars create the dusty protoplanetary disks that give birth to planets of all kinds. And when a star dies, planets are either ...
Planetary Sciences
Jan 6, 2026
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28
The hunt is on for terrestrial exoplanets in habitable zones, and some of the most promising candidates were discovered almost a decade ago about 40 light-years from Earth. The TRAPPIST-1 system contains seven terrestrial ...
Planetary Sciences
Dec 11, 2025
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