For the first time, astronomers have detected the vaporized remains of the crusts of long-dead Earth-like and Mars-like planets in the atmospheres of white dwarf stars. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/vaporized-earth-like-mars-like-crusts-white-dwarf-stars…
Tag: Kepler
A planet called KOI-5Ab orbits in a triple-star system with a skewed configuration
Shortly after NASA’s Kepler mission began operations back in 2009, it identified what was thought to be a planet about the size of Neptune. Called KOI-5Ab, the planet, which was the second new planet candidate to be found by the mission, was ultimately forgotten as Kepler racked up more and more planet discoveries. By the end of its mission in 2018,…
Hostile space weather might not be all bad for exoplanet life
A new study from Northwestern University shows that solar flares – space weather – might not always be as dangerous for life on exoplanets as typically thought. In fact, it might even help astronomers discover alien life on distant worlds. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/hostile-space-weather-might-not-be-all-bad-for-exoplanet-life…
220 years ago today: 1st asteroid discovered
Giuseppe Piazzi discovered the asteroid Ceres – now considered a dwarf planet – on January 1, 1801. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/jan-1-1801-discovery-of-ceres…
LAMOST-Kepler/K2 survey announces the first light result
An international team led by Prof. Fu Jianning and Dr. Zong Weikai from Beijing Normal University released the first light result of medium-resolution spectroscopic observations undertaken by the LAMOST-Kepler/K2 Survey. The study was published in Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series on Nov. 12. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-11-lamost-keplerk2-survey-result.html…
Meet the hell planet with a magma ocean and rocky rain
Exoplanet K2-141b is fiery hot world that circles so close to its star that 1 side of the planet features a deep ocean of molten lava. Meanwhile, the other side is freezing cold. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/k2-141b-lava-planet-with-magma-ocean-rocky-rain-supersonic-winds-super-earth…
How Many Alien Civilizations Are Out There? A New Galactic Survey Holds a Clue.
Here’s a good sign for alien hunters: More than 300 million worlds with similar conditions to Earth are scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy. A new analysis [PDF] concludes that roughly half of the galaxy’s sunlike stars host rocky worlds in habitable zones where liquid water could pool or flow over the planets’ surfaces. From a report: “This is the science…
New eclipsing binary system detected by Kepler spacecraft
An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new eclipsing binary system using NASA’s Kepler spacecraft during its prolonged mission known as K2. The system, designated EPIC 216747137, appears to be a post-common-envelope binary (PCEB) of HW Virginis class. The finding is detailed in a paper published October 26 on arXiv.org. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-11-eclipsing-binary-kepler-spacecraft.html…
How many habitable planets are out there?
Thanks to new research using data from the Kepler space telescope, it’s estimated that there could be as many as 300 million potentially habitable planets in our galaxy. Some could even be pretty close, with several likely within 30 light-years of our Sun. The findings will be published in The Astronomical Journal, and research was a collaboration of scientists from NASA,…
Moon sweeps by Jupiter and Saturn October 21 to 23
These next several evenings – October 21, 22 and 23, 2020 – watch for the waxing moon to sweep by the gas giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-sweeps-by-jupiter-and-saturn…