To sort out the biological intricacies of Earth-like planets, astronomers have developed computer models that examine how ultraviolet radiation from other planets’ nearby suns may affect those worlds, according to […]
extrasolar planet
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Friction from Tides Could Make Extrasolar Planets Habitable
As anybody who has started a campfire by rubbing sticks knows, friction generates heat. Now, computer modeling by NASA scientists shows that friction could be the key to survival for […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Effect of Planets Beyond the Ice Line on the Accretion of Volatiles by Habitable-Zone Rocky Planets
Models of planet formation have shown that giant planets have a large impact on the number, masses and orbits of terrestrial planets that form. In addition, they play an important […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Probing Exo-Earth's Atmospheres During Primary Eclipse Observations
Most models used to predict or fit exoplanet transmission spectra do not include all the effects of atmospheric refraction. Namely, the angular size of the star with respect to the […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Using Dimers to Measure Biosignatures and Atmospheric Pressure for Terrestrial Exoplanets
We present a new method to probe atmospheric pressure on Earthlike planets using (O2-O2) dimers in the near-infrared. We also show that dimer features could be the most readily detectable […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Feasibility Studies for the Detection of O2 in an Earth-like Exoplanet
We present the results of simulations on the detectability of O2 in the atmosphere of Earth twins around nearby low mass stars using high resolution transmission spectroscopy. We explore such […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Hubble Traces Subtle Signals of Water on Hazy Worlds
Using the powerful eye of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, two teams of scientists have found faint signatures of water in the atmospheres of five distant planets. The presence of atmospheric […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Characterizing Distant Worlds with Asterodensity Profiling
Eclipsing systems, such as transiting exoplanets, allow one to measure the mean stellar density of the host star under various idealized assumptions. Asterodensity Profiling (AP) compares this density to an […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
The Role of Carbon in Extrasolar Planetary Geodynamics and Habitability
he proportions of oxygen, carbon and major rock-forming elements (e.g. Mg, Fe, Si) determine a planet’s dominant mineralogy. Variation in a planet’s mineralogy subsequently affects planetary mantle dynamics as well […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Circumbinary Planet Formation in the Kepler-16 System
Recent simulations have shown that the formation of planets in circumbinary configurations (such as those recently discovered by Kepler) is dramatically hindered at the planetesimal accretion stage. The combined action […]