Observations over the past few decades have found that planets are common around nearby stars in our Galaxy, but little is known about planets that formed outside the Milky Way.
sub-Neptune
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Precise Mass And Radius Determination For Two New And One Known Neptune-sized Planets Around G Dwarf Hosts
As part of the KESPRINT collaboration, we present the discovery and characterization of three exoplanets in the sub-Neptune to super-Neptune regime, spanning key regions of the exo-Neptunian landscape.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Predicting Exoplanet Transit Yields In The Rosette Nebula With The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Young stars host only a small fraction of the known exoplanet population because their photometric variability, magnetic activity, and frequent placement in dense, poorly-resolved regions hamper exoplanet detections.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia Mission, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Experiments Show Water Creation During Planet Formation Process
Our galaxy’s most abundant type of planet could be rich in liquid water due to formative interactions between magma oceans and primitive atmospheres during their early years, according to new […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Where Water Comes From: A New Clue From Alien Worlds
For decades, scientists believed that Earth’s water originated far from the sun. In the cold outer reaches of the solar system, water-rich bodies formed and later migrated inward, delivering water […]
Posted inLava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report
Magma Ocean Interactions Can Explain JWST Observations Of The sub-Neptune TOI-270 d
Sub-Neptunes with substantial atmospheres may possess magma oceans in contact with the overlying gas, with chemical interactions between the atmosphere and magma playing an important role in shaping atmospheric composition.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
An Ultra-Short Period Super-Earth and Sub-Neptune Spanning the Radius Valley Orbiting the Kinematic Thick Disk Star TOI-2345
A crucial chemical link between stars and their orbiting exoplanets is thought to exist. If universal, this connection could affect the formation and evolution of all planets. Therefore, this potential […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Venus
Sub-Neptune Exoplanet K2-18b Does Not Meet the Standards Of Evidence For Life
K2-18b, a temperate sub-Neptune, has garnered significant attention due to claims of possible biosignatures in its atmosphere. Low-confidence detections of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and/or dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) have sparked considerable […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report
Not All Sub-Neptune Exoplanets Have Magma Oceans
The evolution and structure of sub-Neptunes may be strongly influenced by interactions between the outer gaseous envelope of the planet and a surface magma ocean.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Identifying Rocky Planets And Water Worlds Among Sub-Neptune-sized Exoplanets With The Habitable Worlds Observatory
Astronomers are debating whether the plentiful “sub-Neptune” exoplanets — worlds a bit larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune — are predominantly rocky planets, water-rich “ocean worlds,” or gas-enshrouded mini-Neptunes.