The search for life beyond Earth is a key driver of modern astronomy and planetary science. The U.S. is building multiple major telescopes and planetary probes to advance this search. However, the ...

Astonishingly, we can identify molecules present in the atmospheres of exoplanets.

The heart's brightness arises from sunlight reflection, while red patches, formed by tholins, showcase Pluto's atmospheric ...

Jacksonville, Fla – A new study is shedding light—literally—on how bursts of solar energy might shape the short-term weather on distant planets, and it’s turning heads back here on our own world too.

Planet Nine is believed to be between five and 10 times the mass of Earth and would be orbiting the sun far beyond Pluto, at around 550 times the distance between Earth and the sun. Scientists have ...

Astronomers have spent the past decade cataloguing thousands of planets beyond the solar system, many of them falling into a ...

The search for life beyond Earth is a holy grail quest for many experts, but finding where to look is a core issue.

We live in a very exciting time: answers to some of the oldest questions humanity has conceived are within our grasp. One of these is whether Earth is the only place that harbors life. In the last 30 ...

The search for an unknown planet in our solar system has inspired astronomers for more than a century. Now, a recent study suggests a potential new candidate, which the paper’s authors have dubbed ...