exoplanets

Nature Astronomy, Published online: 04 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02860-3 The JWST thermal emission spectrum of the rocky exoplanet LHS 3844 b points to a dark, basalt-like surface shaped by space weathering. The data provide tight limits on CO2 and SO2, ruling out a substantial atmosphere and recent widespread volcanism.

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have directly analyzed the surface of a distant super-Earth, revealing a dark, airless, Mercury-like world.

To support NASA's ASTRA initiative, the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) is organizing a series of webinars on Large-scale (>$1 billion) mission concepts. The first of these will be on 7 May 2026 at 4p Eastern (1p Pacific). The post ExoPAG Presentation, 7 May 2026 appeared first on NASA Science .

A novel technique applied to the TESS data has revealed 27 new circumbinary candidates, hinting that such exotic systems may be more common than once believed. The post Astronomers Spot Dozens of Potential ‘Tatooine’ Worlds appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News .

A symbolic milestone in the lead-up to mission-readiness: the Pandora Observatory transmitted its first engineering images from low-Earth...

In the wild unknown, out beyond the orbit of Neptune, astronomers have found a tiny...

A nearby super-Earth reveals a scorched, airless surface, offering a rare glimpse into the geology of distant worlds.

A study of NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) data on stellar pairs undergoing mutual eclipses has uncovered more than two dozen candidate exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system. This method allows the mission to locate planets it couldn’t otherwise detect.  To date, TESS has discovered 885 confirmed exoplanets and identified more than 7,900 […]

The surface of a distant rocky planet about 30% bigger than the Earth may resemble a larger version of the moon or the planet Mercury, according to a new study using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

On ‘Star Wars day’, researchers more than double the number of potential known ‘circumbinary’ planets like the fictional Tatooine, home to Luke Skywalker Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Astronomers have discovered 27 new potential planets that orbit two stars, like the fictional desert planet Tatooine from the Sta…

The Paranal solar ESPRESSO Telescope (PoET), installed at the European Southern Observatory's (ESO's) Paranal site in Chile, has made its first observations. The telescope will work with ESO's ESPRESSO instrument to study the sun in detail. Described as a solar telescope for planet hunters, PoET aims to understand how the variation in the light from stars like the sun can mask the presence of pla…

A proposed Canadian microsatellite could dramatically accelerate the search for Earth-like planets orbiting the galaxy’s smallest stars.

Searching for Microbial Life in Exoplanet Atmospheres Exoplanet atmospheres can reveal possible signs of microbial life through gases like oxygen or methane. However, these findings are suggestive rather than definitive. Promising signals, such as dimethyl sulfide on K2-18b, remain intriguing but unconfirmed. Scientists must carefully verify these observations to rule out non-biological processes…

Astronomers have unleashed a powerful new AI tool called RAVEN to comb through data from NASA’s TESS mission—and it’s paying off in a big way. By analyzing millions of stars, the system has confirmed over 100 exoplanets, including 31 brand-new worlds, and identified thousands more promising candidates. What makes this especially exciting is the discovery of rare and extreme planets, like those th…

A new study has identified a potentially record-breaking haul of transiting exoplanets, thanks to a machine learning algorithm that analyzed the light curves of more than 80 million previously overlooked stars.

TIC 245076932 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a F-type star. Its mass is 0.51 Jupiters, it takes 21.6 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.157 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2026. The post TIC 245076932 b appeared first on NASA Science .

GJ 1137 c is a Neptune-like exoplanet that orbits a K-type star. Its mass is 5.12 Earths, it takes 9.6 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.0835 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2026. The post GJ 1137 c appeared first on NASA Science .

TWA 7 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a M-type star. Its mass is 0.34 Jupiters, it takes 553.2 years to complete one orbit of its star, and is 52 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2025. The post TWA 7 b appeared first on NASA Science .

TIC 87422071 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a F-type star. Its mass is 1.29 Jupiters, it takes 11.4 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.106 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2026. The post TIC 87422071 b appeared first on NASA Science .

TIC 147027702 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a F-type star. Its mass is 1.09 Jupiters, it takes 44.4 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.274 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2026. The post TIC 147027702 b appeared first on NASA Science .