Exoplanets

Astronomers have identified massive rings of plasma around young M dwarf stars that function as built-in monitors for stellar space weather. These structures, presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting, could help assess conditions for habitable planets orbiting these common stars. The findings come from research by Carnegie's Luke Bouma and Moira Jardine of the University of St Andrews.

March 25, 2026 Reported by AI

A team led by Professor Lisa Kaltenegger at Cornell University has pinpointed 45 rocky exoplanets in the habitable zones of their stars, where liquid water might exist. The research, drawing on data from ESA's Gaia mission and NASA's Exoplanet Archive, highlights prime targets for the search for extraterrestrial life. Published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the study also notes 24 additional candidates in a stricter habitable zone.

Astronomers have discovered four exceptionally low-density planets orbiting a 20-million-year-old star named V1298 Tau, offering insights into the formation of common planetary systems. These worlds, with densities akin to polystyrene, are seen as precursors to super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. The findings, based on five years of observations, highlight a young version of systems prevalent across the galaxy.

January 05, 2026 Reported by AI

Astronomers have forecasted a rare alignment of two planets and their star in the Kepler-89 system for April 1, 2026, but the event may pass unobserved due to denied telescope access. This exosyzygy, first identified in 2010, offers a unique chance to study planetary orbits, yet complications in scheduling have thwarted observation efforts. Researchers remain optimistic about the prediction while planning for future opportunities.