Located 163 light-years from Earth, the Jupiter-sized exoplanet called WASP-69b offers astrophysicists a window into the dynamic processes shaping planets in the galaxy. The star it orbits scorches and strips the planet of its atmosphere, and the escaping atmosphere is formed by the star into a vast comet-like tail at least 350,000 miles long. I… Read More »
Scientists have found that some planets can migrate towards the heart of planetary systems early in their lives; This probably explains the lack of planets we see that are about twice as wide as Earth. Over the years, scientists have managed to observe many exoplanets smaller or larger than Earth, but planets exactly 1.6 to… Read More »
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Astronomers have discovered a “super-Earth,” or a world larger than our planet, orbiting a star about 137 light-years away. There may also be a second planet, thought to be the size of Earth, orbiting the… Read More »
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Astronomers have discovered a “super-Earth,” or a world larger than our planet, orbiting a star about 137 light-years away. There may also be a second planet, thought to be the size of Earth, orbiting the… Read More »