exoplanetology
-
Astronomers Spot an Exoplanet Shaped Like a Football
A team of astronomers studying distant exoplanets found one that seems to be shaped like a football — or a rugby ball, depending on your frame of reference — rather than the usual sphere. The team suspects the planet’s shape is caused by the intense tidal forces of its host star.
-
Planet Way, Way Bigger Than Jupiter Spotted in Massive Star System
Scientists have spotted an unusually large exoplanet in orbit around b Centauri, a massive two-star system that is visible to the unaided eye. With a combined weight of roughly 10 Suns, it’s now the heaviest star system known to host a planet.
-
Astronomers Spot a Batch of Rogue Planets Near the Galactic Core
Data gathered by NASA’s now-retired Kepler Space Telescope has revealed a small population of free-floating planets near the Galactic Bulge. The new finding raises hope that a pair of upcoming missions will result in further detections of unbound planets, which drift through space separated from their home stars.