Of the seven Earth-sized worlds orbiting the red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, one planet in particular has attracted the attention of scientists. This planet orbits the star within the "Goldilocks zone"—a ...

Of the seven Earth-sized worlds orbiting the red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, one planet in particular has attracted the attention of scientists, because it ...

According to a new study, Earth’s atmosphere might have been more important for the origin of life story than we gave it ...

Using a highly sensitive mass spectrometer capable of detecting trace chemicals, the researchers discovered that their early Earth simulation created an entire collection of sulfur biomolecules. These ...

Using the Webb telescope’s powerful Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) instrument, the team detected a ...

What can star variability—changes in a star's brightness over time—teach astronomers about exoplanet habitability? This is ...

Astronomers have discovered over 5,800 exoplanets, unveiling strange new worlds and the possibility of life beyond Earth. Explore the latest breakthroughs in our cosmic quest to understand the ...

Still, science being science, we needed proof—and we got it in 1992, when two astronomers found two planets orbiting a pulsar ...

For decades, the search for alien life has revolved around a narrow ring around stars where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface. That “habitable zone” remains important, but astronomers are ...

When astronomers search for planets that could host liquid water on their surface, they start by looking at a star's habitable zone. Water is a key ingredient for life, and on a planet too close to ...

See imaginative exoplanet worlds by St. Ann’s fifth graders at Blakemore Planetarium, Museum of the Southwest, on view ...

There are lots of reasons to search for planets around other stars—exoplanets. A big one is to find other places in the universe that might harbor life. We only know of one ...