The latest road map to U.S. astronomy’s next decade recommends a smaller space telescope, ground-based facilities, and an institutional effort to create an inclusive and equitable field.
exoplanets
Posted inNews
Where Moons Are Made
The young, growing planet PDS 70 c has enough material swirling around it to make at least three Moon-sized moons.
Posted inNews
Peculiar Planets Prefer Perpendicular Paths
Some exoplanets orbit their stars from pole to pole instead of across the equator. Why do they do that?
Posted inGeoFIZZ
Oddballs of the Exoplanet Realm
The list of planets in other star systems includes zombies, hot giants, puffballs, and even a few Tatooines. Zowie!
Posted inFeatures
Exoplanets in the Shadows
The bright clutter of individual discoveries can overshadow some fascinating research, from necroplanetology to rogue planets to the intimacy of alphanumeric nomenclature.
Posted inFeatures
Overture to Exoplanets
The curtain is about to rise on the James Webb Space Telescope. Let’s see what’s in store for its opening act.
Posted inOpinions
“Earth Cousins” Are New Targets for Planetary Materials Research
“Cousin” worlds—slightly bigger or slightly hotter than Earth—can help us understand planetary habitability, but we need more lab and numerical experiments to make the most of this opportunity.
Posted inNews
Superlasers Shed Light on Super-Earth Mantles
By compressing iron oxide to pressures expected inside a large and rocky exoplanet, scientists discovered that such mantles could layer, mix, and flow in ways very different from those inside our planet.
Posted inNews
Podcast: A Modern Way to Look for Aliens
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is undergoing a 21st century transformation. The field is poised to lead the way as an example of interdisciplinary research and inclusive science.
Posted inNews
Airless Exoplanet’s Mantle Could Flow in Halves
With no atmosphere in the way, measurements of the planet’s surface temperature are the first observational constraints on mantle convection models for an exoplanet.