Exoplanets

JWST could potentially detect the signature of methyl halide compounds, produced by microbial life in Earth's ocean, on hypothetical hycean exoplanets.

Astronomers have examined infant planets orbiting a star 370 light-years away, seeing the exomoon forming disks of gas and dust around them in unprecedented detail.

Using the now-retired Kepler space telescope, astronomers have discovered that larger planets grow up in more turbulent homes than smaller worlds.

After many previous claims and false alarms, astronomers can finally confirm the existence of at least four planets less massive than Earth orbiting Barnard's Star.

A paper published in 2023 spurred discussion about whether life exists on an exoplanet named K2-18b. Two years later, the puzzle continues — and some scientists are expressing doubt.

Astronomers have discovered a powerful jet stream raging through the atmosphere of an ultra-hot Jupiter exoplanet ravaged by liquid iron rains.

Astronomers have discovered what seems to be a star racing through the Milky Way at 1.2 million mph, dragging a Neptune-sized planet along for the ride.

NASA's Pandora exoplanet-studying probe will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than this fall.

Using 20 years of data from the Hubble Space Telescope astronomers have discovered that turbulent stars could be corrupting observations of some exoplanets.

By tracing the corkscrew wobble of two stars as they move through the sky, the Gaia space mission has discovered one new giant "planet," plus a new brown dwarf.