Exoplanets
Latest about Exoplanets
![An artist's illustration shows a bright blue planet in the foreground with a yellow, glowing star in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CxEfpRW5eAhbaTfCxL2egM-320-80.png)
Some exoplanets are shrinking. Here's why
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Data from NASA's Kepler telescope shows why puffy sub-Neptunes are shrinking to rocky super-Earths.
![exoplanet animation of a world orbiting a star](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/K6iAmYty7QAmVbKhEp76wd-320-80.gif)
Exoplanets: Everything you need to know about the worlds beyond our solar system
By Robert Lea last updated
Reference Exoplanets are worlds that orbit stars other than the sun. Since their discovery in the 1990s, these alien planets have been revealing that the universe is a diverse place.
![dinosaurs being dinosaurs](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/89y4CeU6fWx9TEhgktrwJR-320-80.jpg)
Detecting alien life might be easier if we hunt for 'Jurassic worlds.' Here's why
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
"If they're out there, this analysis lets us figure out where they could be living."
![Color illustration of a rocky planet on the left and a portion of a much-larger star on the right. About three-quarters of the lit side of the planet is visible; the other quarter is in shadow. The surface of the planet has gray, orange, and yellow mottling. Most of the orange and yellow is in the region that is facing the star directly. The grayer portions are toward the poles and shadowed side of the planet. The edge of the disc of the planet appears to be glowing, suggesting a thin atmosphere. The star is bright orange-yellow, with a turbulent appearance similar to the Sun.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N4fsr4U8WWXQzfsDDVg9bQ-320-80.jpg)
NASA's exoplanet-hunting telescope spies 8 'super-Earths'
By Conor Feehly published
Astronomers using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) have identified eight new super-Earths that orbit close to their host stars.
![a large planet glows fiery red close to its star](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aCVtShXaN88pd42dCyDsQU-320-80.jpg)
7 scorching-hot exoplanets discovered circling the same star
By Robert Lea published
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope spotted a seven exoplanet system with worlds being battered by radiation from their parent sun-like star just before its retirement in 2018.
![Artist's depiction of a star system that is crowded with giant planets.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yJok8fp3DGwyqxVnX6FuoR-320-80.jpg)
Bullying Jupiter-like planets may push 'alien Earths' away from life-friendly orbits
By Elizabeth Howell published
Planets like Earth shouldn't get too close to their bigger, bullying neighbors. Jupiter-size worlds can wreck life-friendly conditions on their smaller neighbors.
![various colored circles circled by dotted lines scattered about a black canvas](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kSENpdwCE58duLV5qBVTpP-320-80.jpg)
Nailing down exoplanet orbits could be key to finding ET. Here's why
By Keith Cooper published
A better understanding of exoplanet orbits is helping SETI astronomers reduce their computational costs and conduct their search for intelligent aliens faster.
![An illustration shows a suprisingly large gas giant planet orbiting a relatively tiny star](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/h7GCiSRLtHrxYCTKDakFrn-320-80.png)
Jupiter-like exoplanets reveal our solar system may not be so unique after all
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A new analysis shows Jupiter-like planets likely exist around young, moving stars — suggesting our solar system formed from a quiet, low-density environment.
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