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

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 ...

One of the most elegant theories about the origins of life on our planet is that it was kick-started by a delivery from outer ...

Since the 1950s, humanity has been searching for extraterrestrial life with increasingly sophisticated tools. But after ...

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

Scientists have developed a new way to hunt for hidden signals of past life, and say it could assist in the search for ...

New technology has been crucial in uncovering new planets and their secrets, and it will be crucial in finally beginning to uncover how peculiar, or not, our own planet actually is. Ewine van Dishoeck ...

A newly discovered cluster of objects called the “inner kernel” of the Kuiper belt could teach us about the early history of ...

What can star variability—changes in a star's brightness over time—teach astronomers about exoplanet habitability? This is what a recent study accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal ...