Exoplanets

3 Questions: Sara Seager on discovering a trove of new planetsNASA’s Kepler orbiting telescope has found hundreds of new possible planets, including 54 in the so-called 'habitable zone.'

Explained: Transiting exoplanetsHow astronomers learn whether a planet is habitable by observing slight changes in light emanating from its parent star.

The final frontierNow that an Earthlike planet has been discovered, the key to confirming that it can host life will be to study its atmosphere in detail

Learning from hot JupitersBy studying how massive planets may have formed, MIT astrophysicist sets the stage for studying smaller, more Earthlike planets.

Building a list of Earth candidatesMIT researchers increase their odds of detecting an Earthlike planet by working on a combination of satellite missions.

Astronomers detect first carbon-rich exoplanetDiscovery opens door to new class of exoplanets, including rocky planets rich in diamond and graphite.

Growing Earth’s oceansStudy suggests that trace amounts of water created oceans on Earth and other terrestrial planets, including those outside the solar system.

3 Questions: Sara Seager on the discovery of a ‘new’ form of lifeThe MIT planetary scientist discusses what the finding means for life on Earth and elsewhere in the universe.

Explained: the Doppler effectThe same phenomenon behind changes in the pitch of a moving ambulance’s siren is helping astronomers locate and study distant planets.

In a first, astronomers detect strong winds on an exoplanetResearchers see tempestuous atmosphere on a planet located 150 light years from Earth.

In the search for Earthlike exoplanets, GJ 436b has much to tell usFirst detailed analysis of the atmosphere of a Neptune-sized planet reveals surprisingly low methane levels, presents "new territory" for researching planets outside our solar system