Harvard & Smithsonian Archives - Astrobiology

This gallery contains 74 images of different star systems with cometary belts (known as “exocomets”) taken with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter (ALMA) radio telescope facilities. The stars in this study range in ages from very young to middle-aged like our Sun. This new study shows how comets play a role in the formation of stars and planetary systems. Credit: Luca Matra

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

A Large Number Of Exocomets Have Been Discovered

by Keith CowingFebruary 12, 2025February 12, 2025

CfA astronomers and its Submillimeter Array were critical for identifying a cache of belts where comets may reside outside our Solar System.

WASP-39b

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

An Exoplanet Atmosphere As Never Seen Before

by Keith CowingNovember 23, 2022November 23, 2022

The JWST just scored another first: a detailed molecular and chemical portrait of a distant world’s skies.