JWST’s unprecedented sensitivity enables precise spectrophotometric monitoring of substellar worlds, revealing atmospheric variability driven by mechanisms operating across different pressure levels.
gas giant
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Ice Giant, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Status Report, Uranus
Exploring Giant Planet Atmospheres with Habitable Worlds Observatory
Visible and ultraviolet imaging and spectroscopy of Solar System giant planets can set the paradigm for the atmospheric, ionospheric, and magnetospheric processes shaping the diversity of giant exoplanets, brown dwarfs, […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report
Astrometric Exomoon Detection By Means Of Optical Interferometry
Context: With no conclusive detection to date, the search for exomoons, satellites of planets orbiting other stars, remains a formidable challenge. Detecting these objects, compiling a population-level sample and constraining […]
Posted inAlpha Centauri, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Seeking The Worlds Of Avatar: Prospects for Detecting Moons Orbiting a Giant Planet in Alpha Centauri A’s Habitable Zone
Nearby giant exoplanets offer an opportunity to search for moons (exomoons) orbiting them. Here, we present a simulation framework for investigating the possibilities of detecting exomoons via their astrometric signal […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A Carbon-rich Disk Surrounding A Planetary-mass Companion
During the final assembly of gas giant planets, circumplanetary disks (CPDs) of gas and dust form due to the conservation of angular momentum, providing material to be accreted onto the […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
A Carbon-rich Atmosphere On A Windy Pulsar Planet
A handful of enigmatic Jupiter-mass objects have been discovered orbiting pulsars. One such object, PSR J2322-2650b, uniquely resembles a hot Jupiter exoplanet due to its minimum density of 1.8 g/cm^3 […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
TOI-1438: A Rare System With Two Short-period Sub-Neptunes And A Tentative Long-period Jupiter-like Planet Orbiting A K0V star
We present the detection and characterisation of the TOI-1438 multi-planet system discovered by TESS.
![[LEFT] A.1: WISPIT 1b, 1c, and background sources highlighted in the H-band median-combined image of epoch 2022-11-19. [RIGHT] WISPIT 1b, 1c, and background sources highlighted in the Ks-band median-combined image of epoch 2024-11-30. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WIde-Separation-Planets-In-Time.png?resize=1200%2C721&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
WIde Separation Planets In Time (WISPIT): Two Directly Imaged Exoplanets Around The Sun-like Stellar Binary WISPIT 1
Wide separation gas giant planets present a challenge to current planet formation theories, and the detection and characterisation of these systems enables us to constrain their formation pathways.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Saturn, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Video: A Preview Of Future Gas Giant Exploration
Imagine what a future Astrobiology droid might see as it flies through clouds on Jupiter or Saturn looking for biosignatures.
![[LEFT] Titan [RIGHT] Uranus -- NASA.gov](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Photochemical-Haze-Formation.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Titan, Uranus
Photochemical Haze Formation on Titan and Uranus: A Comparative Review
The formation and evolution of haze layers in planetary atmospheres play a critical role in shaping their chemical composition, radiative balance, and optical properties.