A new X-ray study has revealed that stars like the Sun and their less massive cousins calm down surprisingly quickly after a turbulent youth. This result has positive implications for […]
extrasolar planet
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Using Polarimetry to Retrieve the Cloud Coverage of Earth-like Exoplanets
Context. Clouds have already been detected in exoplanetary atmospheres. They play crucial roles in a planet’s atmosphere and climate and can also create ambiguities in the determination of atmospheric parameters […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Future Astrometric Space Missions for Exoplanet Science
High-precision astrometry at the sub-microarcsecond level opens up a window to study Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars, and to determine their masses. It thus promises to […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Rotational Spectral Unmixing of Exoplanets: Degeneracies between Surface Colors and Geography
Unmixing the disk-integrated spectra of exoplanets provides a clue to heterogeneous surfaces that we cannot directly resolve in the foreseeable future. It is particularly important for terrestrial planets with diverse […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Statistical-likelihood Exo-Planetary Habitability Index (SEPHI)
A new Statistical-likelihood Exo-Planetary Habitability Index (SEPHI) is presented. It has been developed to cover the current and future features required for a classification scheme disentangling whether any discovered exoplanet […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
A Statistical Approach to Search for Earth-like Planets
A team of astronomers at the University of Chicago and Grinnell College seeks to change the way scientists approach the search for Earth-like planets orbiting stars other than the sun. […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
A new statistical method for characterizing the atmospheres of extrasolar planets
By detecting light from extrasolar planets,we can measure their compositions and bulk physical properties. The technologies used to make these measurements are still in their infancy, and a lack of […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Comparative Planetology: HAT-P-38 b and WASP-67 b
In a unique experiment, scientists used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to study two “hot Jupiter” exoplanets. Because these planets are virtually the same size and temperature, and orbit around nearly […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Exoplanet Biosignatures: A Framework for Their Assessment
Finding life on exoplanets from telescopic observations is the ultimate goal of exoplanet science. Life produces gases and other substances, such as pigments, which can have distinct spectral or photometric […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
A Statistical Comparative Planetology Approach to the Hunt for Habitable Exoplanets and Life Beyond the Solar System
The search for habitable exoplanets and life beyond the Solar System is one of the most compelling scientific opportunities of our time. Nevertheless, the high cost of building facilities that […]