Because of a new, surprisingly smaller mass estimate for a much-studied, nearby brown dwarf, astronomers now regard the familiar object as merely planetlike.
exoplanets
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A New Theory May Explain “Impossible” TRAPPIST-1 Planets
The proposed formation scenario relies on unconventional processes to account for a bevy of seven Earth-sized exoplanets recently found orbiting an unlikely star.
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Imagining a Different Earth
Data will be critical to start to answer whether the newly found TRAPPIST-1 worlds are truly Earth-like.
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Seven Earth-Sized Planets Seen Whizzing Around One Cool Star
Although all the exoplanets orbit closer than Mercury does to our Sun, liquid water may persist on some of them because their star radiates so little heat.
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Closest Ever Terrestrial Exoplanet Found, Habitability Debated
Researchers are excited about a new, potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting our closest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri.
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Venus's Unexpected, Electrifying Water Loss
New research shows that an electric field surrounding Venus is stripping its atmosphere of water—and the same phenomenon may plague exoplanets scientists hope might be habitable.
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Exoplanet Found in Curious Triple-Star System
The newly discovered planet balances precariously in orbit within the star system, puzzling scientists.
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Aging Stars Make New Habitable Zones
Scientists searching for life in the universe now have a new target: the once-icy worlds orbiting red giants.
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Largest Haul of Newly Verified Exoplanets Announced
About 550 of the planets could be rocky like the Earth, and nine of the planets orbit within their star's habitable zone.
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Space Telescope Findings Suggest Molten Planetary Surface
Researchers studying the super-Earth 55 Cancri e spotted some puzzling features that provide a new vision of the orb's surface.