Astronomers may finally understand why planets orbiting two suns, the real-world equivalents of the “Star Wars” planet Tatooine, are so scarce in our galaxy — and it has to do with general relativity.
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A mysterious object has caused a long-lasting and extreme dimming of a distant star, but is this object a ‘failed star’ brown dwarf, or an exceptionally massive super-Jupiter exoplanet?
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Astronomers have discovered a planetary system that appears to flip one of astronomy’s most reliable rules on its head.
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The planet is one of the best worlds for follow-up studies to determine whether it could be habitable or not.
In the 1990s, astronomers confirmed the first planets orbiting stars beyond our sun. Since then, the tally has risen steadily, and last year it crossed a striking milestone: more than 6,000 known exoplanets. NASA’s Exoplanet Archive has captured not j…
The Discovery A candidate planet that might be remarkably similar to Earth, HD 137010 b, has one potentially big difference: It could be colder than perpetually frozen Mars. Key Facts Scientists continue to mine data gathered by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, retired in 2018, and continue to turn up surprises. A new paper reveals the […]
“We’ve often seen the ‘baby pictures’ of planets forming, but until now, the ‘teenage years’ have been a missing link.”
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“A strong magnetic field is very important for life on a planet.”
At the heart of our own galaxy, there is a dense thicket of stars with a supermassive black hole at the very center. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will provide the deepest-ever view of this zone, revealing stars, planets, and unique objects that resist definition. Based on the input of astronomers from across the […]
Jan. 23, 2026 NASA’s TESS Returns to Science Observations NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) entered safe mode Jan. 15 and returned to normal science operations Jan. 18. The operations team determined the issue arose when TESS slewed to point at a target, but its solar panels did not rotate to remain pointed at the […]