Earth-like exoplanets might be in short supply for the Habitable Worlds Observatory
How common are Earth-like exoplanets—also called exo-Earths—and which exoplanetary systems should we target to find them?
How common are Earth-like exoplanets—also called exo-Earths—and which exoplanetary systems should we target to find them?
Planetary Sciences
Aug 20, 2024
0
9
NASA's upcoming flagship astrophysics missions, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory, will study planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. More than 5,000 exoplanets have ...
Astronomy
Aug 9, 2024
0
50
In an exciting breakthrough for astronomy and the search for extraterrestrial life, a team of international scientists has announced the discovery of Gliese 12 b, a temperate, Earth-sized exoplanet just 40 light-years away—a ...
Astrobiology
Jul 30, 2024
0
52
The launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in 2021 kicked off an exciting new era for exoplanet research, especially for scientists looking at terrestrial planets orbiting stars other than our sun. But three years ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 24, 2024
0
110
Astronomers have created the most detailed weather report so far for two distant worlds beyond our own solar system. The international study—the first of its kind—reveals the extreme atmospheric conditions on the celestial ...
Astronomy
Jul 15, 2024
0
135
Astronomers have discovered three potential "super-Earth" exoplanets orbiting a relatively nearby orange dwarf star. This groundbreaking find was made by an international team of researchers led by Dr. Shweta Dalal from the ...
Planetary Sciences
Jun 24, 2024
0
84
Exoplanets are common in our galaxy, and some even orbit in the so-called habitable zone of their star. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has been busy observing a few of these small, potentially habitable planets, and astronomers ...
Space Exploration
Jun 5, 2024
0
82
The movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans and continents—the carbon cycle—is a fundamental process that regulates Earth's climate. Some factors, like volcanic eruptions or human activity, emit carbon dioxide ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 3, 2024
0
102
Even though Venus and Earth are so-called sister planets, they're as different as heaven and hell. Earth is a natural paradise where life has persevered under its azure skies despite multiple mass extinctions. On the other ...
Astrobiology
May 12, 2024
2
35
A team of astronomers and citizen scientists has discovered a planet in the habitable zone of an unusual star system, including two stars and potentially another exoplanet.
Astronomy
Apr 30, 2024
0
811