Artist’s rendition of variety of exoplanets featured in the new NASA TESS-Keck Survey Mass Catalog, the largest, single, homogenous analysis of TESS planets released by any survey thus far. Credit: W. M. Keck Observatory/Adam Makarenko

Alpha Centauri, Astrogeology, Beta Pictoris, Ceres, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Icy Worlds, Jupiter, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Pluto, Proxima Centauri, Saturn, Status Report, tau Ceti, TRAPPIST-1, Uranus, Venus, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Classifications For Exoplanet and Exoplanetary Systems

by Keith CowingSeptember 17, 2024September 17, 2024

When a star is described as a spectral class G2V, we know its approximate mass, temperature, age, and size. At more than 5,700 exoplanets discovered, it is a natural developmental […]

Alpha Centauri, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Science Fiction, Status Report

Stability of the Potential Super Jupiter in Alpha Centauri System

by Keith CowingJune 28, 2024June 28, 2024

The stability of potential exoplanets in binary star systems remains a critical challenge in celestial mechanics.

TOP: Same as Fig 6 but for the HARPS-N solar spectral time series with the HD10700 sampling. BOTTOM: Exoplanet detection limits on HD128621 HARPS spectra. We derived the detection limit maps by injecting simulated planetary signals covering periods ranging from 10 to 300 days and semiamplitude ranging from 0.4 to 1.1 m/s, into the spectra. Left: Detection limit map in the period-amplitude domain. The red dots indicate the successful detection by the trained neural network of a signal with a FAP > 0.1%. Middle: Amplitude comparison between the injected and recovered signals in the period amplitude domain. The amplitude difference for most of the detected signals is < 30%. Right: Phase difference between the injected and recovered signals in the period-amplitude domain. The phase difference for most of the detected signals is < 0.06. -- astro-ph.EP

Alpha Centauri, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, tau Ceti

Improving Earth-like Planet Detection in Radial Velocity Using Deep Learning

by Keith CowingMay 24, 2024May 24, 2024

Many novel methods have been proposed to mitigate stellar activity for exoplanet detection as the presence of stellar activity in radial velocity (RV) measurements is the current major limitation.

Gas column density of the Phantom hydrodynamical simulation of the circumstellar discs in the binary Alpha Centauri. The stars start at apoastron: A is in the top left corner, and B is in the bottom right corner. From left to right and top to bottom, we show the system at different evolutionary stages: 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3, and 5 Pb , where Pb is a binary orbital period. The red dots represent the stars of Alpha Centauri. -- astro-ph.EP

Alpha Centauri, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Proxima Centauri, Status Report

Alpha Centauri: Disc Dynamics, Planet Stability, Detectability

by Keith CowingJanuary 31, 2024January 30, 2024

Alpha Centauri is a triple stellar system, and it contains the closest star to Earth (Proxima Centauri). Over the last decades, the stars in Alpha Cen and their orbits have […]

Alpha Centauri, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Proxima Centauri, Status Report

Orbital Stability And Secular Dynamics Of The Proxima Centauri Planetary System

by Keith CowingJanuary 18, 2024January 18, 2024

The two innermost planets of the Proxima Centauri system are separated by just 0.02 au, inducing strong gravitational interactions between them.

Alpha Centauri, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

Are We Alone? University Engages Satellite Company In A Search For Life Among The Stars

by Keith CowingMarch 16, 2023March 19, 2023

The University of Sydney has signed a contract with EnduroSat, a leading provider of micro satellites and space services, to explore the question of life beyond Earth, starting with our […]

Alpha Centauri, Astronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Comets and Asteroids, Epsilon Eridani, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Fomalhaut, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Imaging Of Exocomets With Infrared Interferometry

by Keith CowingFebruary 22, 2023September 5, 2025

Active comets have been detected in several exoplanetary systems, although so far only indirectly, when the dust or gas in the extended coma has transited in front of the stellar […]

Alpha Centauri, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Proxima Centauri, Space Weather & Heliophysics, TRAPPIST-1

Stellar Space Weather Effects On Potentially Habitable Planets

by Keith CowingNovember 29, 2022November 29, 2022

Stellar activity can reveal itself in the form of radiation (eg, enhanced X-ray coronal emission, flares) and particles (eg, winds, coronal mass ejections). Together, these phenomena shape the space weather […]

Alpha Centauri, Astronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, SETI & Technosignatures

A Search For Optical Laser Emission From Alpha Centauri AB

by Keith CowingNovember 23, 2022November 23, 2022

A search for laser light from the directions of Alpha Centauri A and B was performed by examining 15362 optical, high-resolution spectra obtained between 2004 and 2018. None of the […]

Alpha Centauri

NASA Rockets Launched From Australia To Seek Habitable Star Conditions

by Keith CowingJune 29, 2022

On the heels of a successful launch on June 26, NASA is set to launch two more sounding rockets from northern Australia during the first half of July. These missions […]

Alpha Centauri

Classifications For Exoplanet and Exoplanetary Systems

Stability of the Potential Super Jupiter in Alpha Centauri System

Improving Earth-like Planet Detection in Radial Velocity Using Deep Learning

Alpha Centauri: Disc Dynamics, Planet Stability, Detectability

Orbital Stability And Secular Dynamics Of The Proxima Centauri Planetary System

Are We Alone? University Engages Satellite Company In A Search For Life Among The Stars

Imaging Of Exocomets With Infrared Interferometry

Stellar Space Weather Effects On Potentially Habitable Planets

A Search For Optical Laser Emission From Alpha Centauri AB

NASA Rockets Launched From Australia To Seek Habitable Star Conditions

University of New Mexico Scientists help Uncover 4.1 billion-year-old Martian Meteorite Revealing Clues to Planet’s Ancient Past

Detection Of HNCOH+ In The Interstellar Medium

Advancing Methane Detection Technology For Future Mars Missions

Comets Probably Didn’t Seed Life On Earth After All, New Study Suggests

Voyager 1 Interstellar Probe Conserves Power, Resolves Brief Communications Pause

Hayabusa Symposium 2026

HWO2026 (Habitable Worlds Observatory)

NASA Planetary Science Technology Workshop

2nd European Interstellar Symposium

American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) 2026