We used a sample of super-Earth-like planets detected by the Doppler spectroscopy and transit techniques to explore the dependence of orbital parameters of the planets on the metallicity of their […]
extrasolar
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Detecting and Constraining N2 Abundances in Planetary Atmospheres Using Collisional Pairs
Characterizing the bulk atmosphere of a terrestrial planet is important for determining surface pressure and potential habitability. Molecular nitrogen (N2) constitutes the largest fraction of Earths atmosphere and is likely […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Chemical Signatures of Rocky Accretion in a Young Solar-type Star
It is well known that newly formed planetary systems undergo processes of orbital reconfiguration and planetary migration. As a result, planets or protoplanetary objects may accrete onto the central star, […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Impact events, Press Release
Detectability of Planetesimal Impacts on Giant Exoplanets
The detectability of planetesimal impacts on imaged exoplanets can be measured using Jupiter during the 1994 comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 events as a proxy. By integrating the whole planet flux with […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
ExTrA: Exoplanets in Transit and their Atmospheres
The ExTrA facility, located at La Silla observatory, will consist of a near-infrared multi-object spectrograph fed by three 60-cm telescopes. ExTrA will add the spectroscopic resolution to the traditional differential […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Kepler-452b: A 1.6-Re Super Earth Exoplanet in the Habitable Zone of a G2 Star
We report on the discovery and validation of Kepler-452b, a transiting planet identified by a search through the 4 years of data collected by NASA’s Kepler Mission. This possibly rocky […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Kepler Discovers Bigger, Older Cousin to Earth
NASA’s Kepler mission has confirmed the first near-Earth-size planet in the “habitable zone” around a sun-like star. This discovery and the introduction of 11 other new small habitable zone candidate […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Observations of Exoplanet Atmospheres
Detailed characterization of an extrasolar planet’s atmosphere provides the best hope for distinguishing the makeup of its outer layers, and the only hope for understanding the interplay between initial composition, […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Carbon Dioxide in Exoplanetary Atmospheres: Rarely Dominant Compared to Carbon Monoxide and Water
We present a comprehensive study of the abundance of carbon dioxide in exoplanetary atmospheres. We construct analytical models of systems in chemical equilibrium that include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
UV Surface Environment of Earth-like Planets Orbiting FGKM Stars Through Geological Evolution
The UV environment of a host star affects the photochemistry in the atmosphere, and ultimately the surface UV environment for terrestrial planets and therefore the conditions for the origin and […]