[astro-ph.EP]. We present new CHEOPS transit observations of AU Mic b and AU Mic c obtained between June and September 2024, extending the baseline of transit-timing measurements of this young […]
CHEOPS
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
CHEOPS Exoplanet Mission Extended
Following the remarkable scientific achievements of the space telescope CHEOPS, the European Space Agency (ESA) has decided to extend the mission once again.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
An Ultra-Short Period Super-Earth And A Sub-Neptune Orbiting The K Dwarf TOI-4311
We report the discovery and characterisation of the multi-planetary system around TOI-4311, a K dwarf kinematically between the Galactic thick disk and Hercules stream. TOI-4311 hosts an ultra-short-period super-Earth (P∼0.99 […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
JWST Unveils A High Mean Molecular Weight Atmosphere For Mini-Neptune TOI-1130b: Evidence For Formation Beyond The Water Ice Line
We present the combined JWST/NIRSpec G395H and NIRISS SOSS transmission spectrum of a warm mini-Neptune, TOI-1130b (3.66 R⊕, 19.8 M⊕, Teq∼825 K). It is part of a rare and unique […]
![WASP-39b transmission spectra and cloud scenarios. Spectra are observed with JWST (orange), HST (magenta), and VLT (green) in comparison to models with different Fe content: full IWF Graz cloud model (black line), Fe[s] replaced (dark gray), FeS[s] replaced (middle gray), and all Fe-binding materials replaced (light gray). The Fe-free mixed-material cloud compositions provide a good fit in the near-IR but not in the optical. — astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Exoplanet-climate.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Status Report
Exoplanet Climate Characterization With Transit Asymmetries
Context. Space missions such as CHEOPS, JWST, and PLATO facilitate detailed characterization of exoplanets, particularly close-in gas giants and their wide range of global temperatures and climate regimes.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1
The Multi-planet System TOI-5624: Four Transiting Sub-Neptunes With An Outer Companion Revealed By Transit-timing Variations
Following the 2022 alert of a TESS object of interest transiting TOI-5624 (a G7 V star ∼100 pc away), a CHEOPS campaign in 2023 detected four planetary signals at Pb≈3.4, […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Constraining Small Planet Compositions for Future Missions
Accurate mass and radius measurements of small transiting exoplanets are essential for probing their compositions, formation histories, and potential habitability.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
Study Reveals A Planetary System With An Unexpected Rocky Planet In Its Outer Region
An international scientific team, led by the University of Warwick and involving the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics, has used the European Space Agency’s Cheops satellite to discover that the […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Ice Giant, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
Cheops Discovers Late Bloomer Planet From Another Era
Many Vile Earthlings Munch Jam Sandwiches Under Newspapers and My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos. What sounds like gibberish half-sentences are memory aids taught to children to help […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Exoplanet Candidate HD 137010 b: An Ice-Cold Earth Analog?
The Discovery A candidate planet that might be remarkably similar to Earth, HD 137010 b, has one potentially big difference: It could be colder than perpetually frozen Mars. See A […]