NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Search Satellite (TESS) may have discovered its first free-floating or “orphan” planet. This is a planet wandering alone in the universe, without a star. The potential discovery suggests that TESS could use it to detect these so-called rogue planets, a phenomenon first proposed by Albert Einstein 100 years ago. Having discovered more… Read More »
Scientists have discovered a rare stardust particle resulting from the explosive supernova death of a distant star. This spot appears to be locked inside an ancient meteorite. The dust grain, however small, can help tell the story of the life, death and rebirth of stars that spans almost the entire 13.8 billion-year history of the… Read More »
Astronomers have discovered that a scorching hot planet twice the size of Jupiter is orbiting in a death spiral that will drag it towards its parent star. Cosmically speaking, a collision is expected to occur relatively soon. Researchers have been predicting for some time that this planet, called WASP-12b, would eventually dive towards its star,… Read More »
Scientists have discovered evidence of a massive star from the early universe that does not fit our current understanding of the universe. The ancient star-shaped strange ball that researchers have dubbed the “Barbenheimer Star” likely had a never-before-seen mixture of elements at its core—it later died a seemingly impossible death while giving birth to an… Read More »
Astronomers have discovered a massive extrasolar planet, or “exoplanet,” orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star that is too small to host such a world, challenging scientists’ models of how planets and planetary systems are born. The planet in question, called LHS 3154 b, is 13 times larger than itself. SoilIn other words, it has a mass… Read More »