There’s a rule of thumb that can come in handy when you hear about new planet discoveries from the Kepler space mission. If they’re talking about a handful of new worlds orbiting distant stars, it’s ...

Astronomers have discovered the raw ingredients of planets orbiting two infant stars, offering a glimpse into how new worlds take shape. These building blocks, called “pebbles,” are tiny solid chunks ...

A new study published in The Astronomical Journal has revealed an astonishing possibility: free-floating planets, long considered cosmic castaways, may not be as solitary as once thought. Using the ...

Is anybody home? Astronomers have pinpointed two planets orbiting a nearby star that meet pretty much every requirement for supporting life. They're almost exactly the same mass as the Earth, they are ...

Snapshots from six computer simulations illustrating the distinct tectonic regimes of terrestrial planets, including the newly discovered ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

NASA's Kepler mission, which has been searching the skies for Earth-like planets since 2009, has confirmed the discovery of a whopping 715 new planets orbiting around 305 stars. That bring the count ...