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Latest News About Alien Planets
An alien planet orbits a star other than our sun, and is sometimes called an "exoplanet." Learn more about the types of alien planets, including exoplanets and extrasolar planets, and get the latest news.
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It would take a robotic probe using current technology about 40,000 years to reach Alpha Centauri Bb.
Scientists have discovered a roughly Earth-size planet in Alpha Centauri, at 4.3 light-years away the closest star system beyond the sun. Should we send a probe there?
European researchers have detected a planet – just slightly more massive than Earth – orbiting very close to Alpha Centauri B, a sun-like star only 4.3 light-years from our Sun. Orbiting once every 3.2 days, the planet is not in the habitable zone.
The newfound world is too hot to host life, but its existence hints that other planets may be found in the system as well.
See images of the closest alien planet yet found.
The alien planet 55 Cancri e could be completely covered in diamonds, scientists say.
The rocky worlds may not bear much resemblance to Earth.
Gliese 163c may be capable of supporting hardy microbes.
The two newfound gas giants are almost certainly too hot to support life.
Many alien planets likely dip in and out of their stars' "habitable zones."
The stars at the core of the M4 cluster look like glowing, multicolored orbs in the photo.
The planet may be completely gone within 100 million years or so.
Kepler-47c shows that planets can reside in the habitable zones of two-star systems.
For the first time, scientists studying data from the Kepler Space Telescope have found multiple planets orbiting a binary star.
Most stars come in pairs. NASA's Kepler space telescope has now confirmed a pair of planets orbiting a pair of stars about 5000 light years from Earth. So we see their light from long, long ago; but not so far away (& very much within our own galaxy)
Magnesium may be especially important, according to a new study.
The James Webb Space Telescope is due to launch in 2018.
The new finds bring the total exoplanet tally to nearly 800.
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