Atmospheric changes on exoplanets could hold clues to our own environmental problems.
The idea that there’s a moral imperative for humans to expand beyond Earth is echoed by influential proponents of space exploration.
Tamara Craiu/Flickr
Technology had enabled humans to explore the deep sea, the Earth’s poles, and outer space. But we shouldn’t forget historical lessons about frontiers in the process of traversing them.
An artist’s impression shows the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our solar system.
ESO/M. Kornmesser
Jonti Horner, University of Southern Queensland e Tanya Hill, Museums Victoria Research Institute
Astronomers have found an Earth-like planet orbiting our nearest neighbour, the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri. So any chance that planet may be habitable?
Artist’s impression of the surface of the planet Proxima b, orbiting Proxima Centauri.
ESO/M. Kornmesser
The red hue of the moon during a total lunar eclipse gives astronomers at cue on how to find out more about the planets being discovered around other stars.
An artist’s impression of the polar orbit of WASP-79b.
ESO/B Addison
A look at some of the more obscure methods astronomers use to detect planets around other stars, in the second of a two-part series on finding world’s elsewhere in the universe.
In the Exoplanet Era, we are learning that planets abound in the cosmos.
ESO/M. Kornmesser
Astronomers have discovered more than 3,000 planets around other stars, so far. In the first of a two-part series we look at how they find world’s elsewhere in the universe.
Artist’s rendition of one of the billions of rocky exoplanets in our galaxy.
Did life once exist on its surface?
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Complex life may be rare in the universe because most planets become either too hot or too cold before life has a chance to get a foothold. This might explain why we have yet to bump into E.T.
Artist’s impression of Planet Nine.
Tomruen, nagualdesign; background taken from File:ESO
Many of the new planets found in other star systems have some extraordinary orbital behavior. So what’s going on?
ESA’s Swarm constellation reveals new rapid changes of our magnetic field, tied directly to the heart of our planet’s molten iron core.
ESA/ATG Medialab
Space research never stops and it seems neither do the surprises. On ABC Breakfast News I covered some huge results from the last few weeks. Be still my beating (magnetic) heart Earth’s magnetic field…
An artist’s concept of select planetary discoveries made to date by NASA’s Kepler space telescope.
NASA/W. Stenzel
The number of known exoplanets doubled this week to more than 3,200. But why have only a handful of these those new planets caught people’s imagination?
We don’t need to look for Earth-like planets exclusively around Sun-like stars. Tiny, dim TRAPPIST-1 has only 11 percent the diameter of the Sun and is much redder.
A laser could hide – or broadcast – our existence.
European Southern Observatory
There are technological ways to hide a planet from intergalactic detection – as well as ways to signal that we’re just sitting here, eager for contact.
The plan to use lasers to send mini-spaceships to the stars.
Flickr/Dave Campbell
It’s an ambitious plan to send a micro-spaceship to our stellar neighbour but is this possible with today’s technology or even technology in the near future?