There’s so little we know about circumbinary planets – planets that orbit two stars instead of one – that they can feel like the stuff of fantasy.
Star Wars
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, Science Fiction, Stellar Cartography
Why Are Tatooine Planets Rare? Blame General Relativity
Of the more than 4,500 stars known to have planets, one puzzling statistic stands out. Even though nearly all stars are expected to have planets and most stars form in […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Science Fiction, Status Report
Finding Endor With Lunar Eclipses — Exomoons And Exorings With The Habitable Worlds Observatory II
Giant planets in the habitable zone may host exomoons with conditions conducive to life. In this paper we describe a method by which the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) could detect […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Astronomy & Telescopes, Conferences and Meetings, Courses, Education and Outreach, Science Fiction, Status Report
Using Science Fiction to Teach Astronomy and Astrobiology
Students in our introductory courses are often familiar with astronomy concepts from science fiction. Using examples from written or filmed science fiction stories can be a good way to capture […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Science Fiction
Rare Image Of Tatooine-like Planet Is Closest To Its Twin Stars Yet
In a discovery that’s fit for a movie, Northwestern University astronomers have directly imaged a Tatooine-like exoplanet, orbiting two suns.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return, Science Fiction
New Grand Canyon Fossils Show The Evolution Of Early Animals On Earth
A treasure trove of exceptionally preserved early animals from more than half a billion years ago has been discovered in the Grand Canyon, one of the natural world’s most iconic […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Science Fiction
The Search For More Temperate Tatooines
Luke Skywalker’s childhood might have been slightly less harsh if he’d grown up on a more temperate Tatooine — like the ones identified in a new, Yale-led study.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, Science Fiction
How Tatooine Might Have Formed – Twisted Magnetic Fields
Tatooine is real. Well, sort of.