[astro-ph.EP] The thermodynamic acceleration induced by atmospheric thermal tides has a major impact on the rotation of temperate rocky planets, where gravitational and radiative tidal forcings are of comparable strength.
rocky exoplanet
Posted inLava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds
Shiny Lava Planet Challenges Astronomers’ Expectations
[University of Birmingham] Astronomers have discovered that a rocky lava planet once thought to be too extreme to have any atmosphere appears to be wrapped in a reflective layer of […]
![Time evolution of the vertical gradient of AH across different height layers is shown. The black line overlaid indicates the corresponding PWV in mm.-- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/MidIR.png?resize=1200%2C715&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Mid-IR Water-Vapor Seeing: Implications for ELT/METIS High-Contrast Imaging from VLTI Data
[astro-ph.IM] Direct imaging and characterization of rocky exoplanets remains one of the central challenges in exoplanetary science. The mid-infrared (mid-IR) offers a favorable high-contrast imaging (HCI) regime, as the planet-star […]
Posted inLava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds
The First Hubble Detection Of A Secondary Eclipse From A Rocky Exoplanet: The 5.4-hour Planet TOI-2431 b
[astro-ph.EP] We present an HST/WFC3 G141 phase-curve observation of the ultra-short-period rocky planet TOI-2431 b and detect its secondary eclipse in the near infrared.
Posted inHabitable Zones
Inside the Eirenesphere: The Interplay of Porosity, Heat Flux and Mineralogy in Exoplanetary Aquable and Habitable Layers
[astro-ph.EP] The classical circumstellar habitable zone restricts the search for life to planetary surfaces where stellar irradiation sustains liquid water, overlooking vast subsurface environments.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
What The Solar System Can Teach Us About Rocky Exoplanets
[astro-ph.EP] The number of rocky extrasolar planets being discovered continues to increase, but so too does the apparent diversity of such worlds.
Posted inVenus
The Venus Benchmark: Resolving Degeneracies in Terrestrial Exoplanet Spectra with DAVINCI
[astro-ph.EP]. The characterization of terrestrial exoplanets with thick, CO2-dominated atmospheres via transmission and emission spectroscopy is limited by degeneracies between atmospheric composition, cloud structure, and surface conditions.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather
Atmospheric Retrieval of Combined JWST, HST, and Ground-Based Observations Reveals a Featureless Transmission Spectrum for GJ 1132 b
[astro-ph.EP] We present a panchromatic transmission spectrum of GJ1132b spanning 0.71–5.16 μm, combining published transit observations from Magellan/LDSS3C, HST/WFC3 G141, and JWST/NIRSpec (G395H and G395M).
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
An Evolving Cosmic Shoreline and Sandbar Bounding the Rocky Airless Valley
[astro-ph.EP] Recent JWST observations challenge the traditional ‘cosmic shoreline’ from both sides, revealing thick volatile atmospheres on the hottest close-in ‘lava worlds,’ where irradiation should drive the most extreme escape, […]
![Earth biosignatures through time and their reflected light spectra. The left subplot shows estimates of Earth’s bulk atmospheric composition through time (advancing from top to bottom), and the figures on the right show the corresponding reflected light spectra considered in this study. Key absorption features for biosignature gases (O3, O2, CH4) and suggested long- and short-wavelength cutoffs are highlighted (as discussed further in Sections 3 and 4). Adapted from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2021) and LUVOIR and HabEx Final Reports (LUVOIR Team, 2019; Gaudi et al., 2020). -- [Astrobiology (Journal)]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Wavelength.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Wavelength Requirements for Life Detection via Reflected Light Spectroscopy of Rocky Exoplanets
[Astrobiology (Journal)] Searching for signs of life is a primary goal of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). However, merely detecting oxygen, methane, or other widely discussed biosignatures is insufficient evidence […]