exoplanets

An artistic representation of WASP-94A b, a gas giant in the Microscopium constellation, shows how clouds build on the dark side of the planet and are blown to the dayside, where they dissipate. This leaves the morning edge of the planet, where the winds move from nightside to dayside, permanently overcast. Credit: Hannah Robbins/Johns Hopkins University

James Webb has revealed that the sunrise and sunset sides of WASP-121 b have surprisingly different atmospheres. Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered striking differences between the morning and evening sides of the atmosphere of WASP-121 b, an ultra-hot gas giant located far beyond our solar system. The findings provide the [...]

"With its unprecedented observational quality, JWST gives us the most detailed glimpses into distant planets to date."

Until last fall Amber Young was a NASA astrobiologist seeking signs of life on the more than 6,000 planets discovered beyond our solar system. She is fascinated by exoplanetary atmospheres and the signatures in them that offer clues that organisms might exist somewhere on those worlds. “Life changes the atmosphere,” she says. Now in her new role as a NASA project scientist, she calls shifts in at…

"We were totally amazed when we noticed this mass and size range of planet formation."

It’s 2134, and humanity has finally embraced green technologies while ridding the Earth of harmful fossil-burning technologies, most notably gasoline, wood, coal, and oil. As a result, soot has been rendered obsolete, and all commercial products from soot, including shoes, wires, computer products, and eye products, are now produced from eco-friendly technologies. However, the uber-rich […] The p…

It’s 2134, and humanity has finally embraced green technologies while ridding the Earth of harmful fossil-burning technologies, most notably gasoline, wood, coal, and oil. As a result, soot has been rendered obsolete, and all commercial products from soot, including shoes, wires, computer products, and eye products, are now produced from eco-friendly technologies. However, the uber-rich who still…

A newly characterized exoplanet 383 light-years away has revealed an unusually low density, offering fresh clues about how some worlds evolve in extreme environments.

Astronomers studying the atmospheres of several intensely heated exoplanets uncovered an unexpected pattern that may reveal a hidden property of these distant worlds. Astronomers have uncovered the clearest evidence so far that some planets beyond our Solar System possess magnetic fields. By measuring atmospheric winds on seven extremely hot gas giants, researchers found signs that [...]

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is poised to make a major leap in the hunt for worlds outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. Scientists expect the mission to reveal around 100,000 worlds—a staggering leap compared to the nearly 6,300 found so far thanks to NASA missions working in tandem with other observatories. And […]

Eyes on Exoplanets Tutorial Welcome to NASA’s Eyes on Exoplanets! Use this tutorial to start exploring worlds beyond our own. With this 3D interactive tool, you can visit all the stars beyond the Sun where we’ve found other planets, called exoplanets.  Choose a star or exoplanet and see an artist’s concept of what it might […] The post Eyes on Exoplanets Tutorial appeared first on NASA Science .

In the past few decades, our knowledge of exoplanets has exploded, but we’re still relatively limited in what we can learn about these worlds. That’s due, in large part, to the indirect way we observe them. Most exoplanets are found when we see them transit, passing between Earth and their star. During a transit, the […]

There's a puzzling gap in the distribution of exoplanet sizes. Today's paper explores the role of photoevaporation and core composition on the formation of the radius valley.

A nearby planet sits in the life-friendly zone, yet its strange fire-and-ice path shows why the hunt for habitable planets is far messier than it seems.

JWST has revealed dramatic differences between the dawn and dusk regions of the scorching exoplanet WASP-121 b. Fierce winds appear to carry heat from the planet’s permanent dayside, making the evening side hotter and more expanded. Scientists also found signs that water is being broken apart by extreme temperatures and that mysterious mineral clouds may be shaping the cooler side’s atmosphere.

Nature Astronomy, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02887-6 By leveraging a hot exoplanet’s rotation during a transit observed with JWST, the thermal and chemical structure in the planet’s atmosphere was measured. The eastern half of the planet is hotter than western half, driving the dissociation of water.

A debate has been raging amongst planetary scientists for over a decade - why are there so few exoplanets with a radius of about 1.8 times that of the Earth? Exoplanets are currently largely grouped into two distinct groups - “super Earth” are below that size and have rocky interiors, whereas “Sub-Neptunes” are above that size limit and appear “puffier.” But we don’t really understand what about …

JWST uncovers dramatic day-night atmospheric differences on ultra-hot exoplanet WASP-121 b, offering the first high-resolution glimpse of alien weather.

A new study analyzed how NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory might be able to confidently spot biosignatures in the atmosphere of a distant ancient Earth.