![An artist’s rendering of “cosmic sandbar” planet TOI-561b orbiting its star, with its atmosphere illuminated. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford [STScI])](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Why-Some.jpg?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
[Stanford University] Stanford researchers have offered a compelling explanation for why some sizzling, lava-covered worlds nestled tightly around their stars can keep hold of their atmospheres. At such close quarters, […]
super Earth
![Sunburst diagrams describing the evolution of the inner planets (top) and the outer giant planets (bottom) in the DAG simulations. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Effects-of.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Effects Of Outer Giant Planets On In Situ Formation Of Inner Super-Earths
[astro-ph.EP] Recent studies have found an observational correlation between the presence of outer giant planets and inner super-Earths, which implies that outer giants do not suppress the formation of super-Earths.
![CI mass as a function of radial distance from the host star, for a continuum of solid surface densities. Over-plotted is the FI1 mass (𝑀¤ = 10−9 M⊙ yr−1 ) for a continuum of maximum Stokes numbers, as well as the MFI1 (opaque purple) and MFI2 (dashed red) masses and the PI mass (dotted black). The last three show no continuum of mass distributions, since we vary their initial mutual Hill spacing within the simulation. Thus, all initial simulations begin from the same mass distribution model, albeit with a different number of embryos at different spacings.-- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Effects-of-Pebble.png?resize=1200%2C715&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Effects Of Pebble Accretion Isolation Mass On Observable Exoplanet Properties
[astro-ph.EP] The Kepler Mission has discovered a plethora of planetary systems with super-Earth sized planets.
Posted inHabitable Zones
Detected: Rocky, Habitable-zone Exoplanet With An Atmosphere
[Carnegie Science] A team of scientists led by Harvard University’s Collin Cherubim and including Shreyas Vissapragada and other Carnegie astronomers has detected evidence of an atmosphere on a rocky planet […]
Posted inSETI & Technosignatures
Multistage Rocket Optimization, Geophysics, and the Spacefaring Envelope of Habitable Super-Earths
[astro-ph.EP] Habitability is typically defined by whether a planet can support life, rather than whether it can support a technological civilization capable of escaping its gravity well.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Nearby “Super Earth” May Be A Better Candidate For Life Than Previously Thought
[UT Austin] Using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, astronomers have taken a closer look at a nearby exoplanet and discovered it may be more Earth-like than previously thought. The […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Super-Earths And Mini-Neptunes Follow Different Orbital Period-eccentricity Relations
Many exoplanets have been observed with radius sizes between that of Earth and that of Neptune and are thus classified into two groups: super-earths (SEs) and mini-neptunes (MNs).
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
Finding Patterns in Planets: Researchers Explore the Demographics of Alien Worlds in K2 Data
Our galaxy is jam-packed with planets, with thousands already discovered and millions more expected to eventually come into view. Within this ever-growing bounty, surprises have abounded, revealing that our solar […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
A New Global Chemical Equilibrium Code: Refractory Element Signatures in Super-Earths and Sub-Neptunes
The atmospheres of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes can be strongly modified by chemical exchange with their molten interiors during long-lived magma ocean phases. Interpreting atmospheric observations requires fast models that self-consistently […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
An Ultra-Short Period Super-Earth And A Sub-Neptune Orbiting The K Dwarf TOI-4311
We report the discovery and characterisation of the multi-planetary system around TOI-4311, a K dwarf kinematically between the Galactic thick disk and Hercules stream. TOI-4311 hosts an ultra-short-period super-Earth (P∼0.99 […]