Exoplanets

What to know about the thousands of still-mysterious exoplanets that lie beyond our solar system's edge. Also: How many among them can support life like Earth?

Latest in Exoplanets

an illustration of an orange dot orbiting a larger orangish body in space

Astronomers discover a new exoplanet orbiting the closest single star to the sun Astronomers discover a new exoplanet orbiting the closest single star to the sun

By Laura Baisas

This collage highlights a small selection of regions of the Milky Way imaged as part of the most detailed infrared map ever of our galaxy. Here we see, from left to right and top to bottom: NGC 3576, NGC 6357, Messier 17, NGC 6188, Messier 22 and NGC 3603. All of them are clouds of gas and dust where stars are forming, except Messier 22, which is a very dense group of old stars.

1.5 billion cosmic objects dazzle in the largest infrared Milky Way map ever created 1.5 billion cosmic objects dazzle in the largest infrared Milky Way map ever created

a space telescope image of multiple shining stars in reddish clouds

JWST spots six new ‘rogue worlds,’ neither planet nor star JWST spots six new ‘rogue worlds,’ neither planet nor star

By Laura Baisas

an illustration of a blue exoplanet with white swirls near a sun-like star

A nearby exoplanet reeks of rotten eggs A nearby exoplanet reeks of rotten eggs

By Laura Baisas

an exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star

Newly discovered exoplanet may be habitable (or a Venus-like hellscape) Newly discovered exoplanet may be habitable (or a Venus-like hellscape)

By Laura Baisas

An illustration of what exoplanet WASP-39 b could look like. It is also a hot and puffy gas giant like exoplanet WASP 193b.

A massive cotton candy-like exoplanet stumps astronomers A massive cotton candy-like exoplanet stumps astronomers

By Laura Baisas

Artist rendering of exoplanet WASP-43b

JWST measures ‘Hot Jupiter,’ a distant exoplanet hot enough to forge iron JWST measures ‘Hot Jupiter,’ a distant exoplanet hot enough to forge iron

Jupiter’s iconic Great Red Spot and the surrounding turbulent zones, shown in shades of white and brown.

Earth isn’t the only planet with seasons, but they can look wildly different on other worlds Earth isn’t the only planet with seasons, but they can look wildly different on other worlds

By Gongjie Li / The Conversation

Robert Lodder sends Lexington tourism data ad into space at evening launch event with horses in background

Lexington, Kentucky sent a tourism ad to ‘extraterrestrials’ with a DIY laser rig Lexington, Kentucky sent a tourism ad to ‘extraterrestrials’ with a DIY laser rig

LHS 3154b, a newly discovered massive planet that should be too big to exist.

The planet that should not exist The planet that should not exist

By Suvrath Mahadevan et al./The Conversation

An artist's rendition of the infrared aurora superimposed on a Hubble Space Telescope photograph of Uranus. The planet is blue with a white ring around it and the aurora is shown in red at its poles.

Uranus has a weird infrared aurora Uranus has a weird infrared aurora

By Laura Baisas

An artistic representation of the TRAPPIST-1 red dwarf star, featuring its very active nature. Exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b is the closest planet to the system’s central star and is featured in the foreground with no apparent atmosphere. The exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 g is in the background to the right of the star.

JWST just scanned the skies of potentially habitable exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b JWST just scanned the skies of potentially habitable exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b

By Laura Baisas

An artist’s impression of the planet Beta Pictoris b orbiting its star.

Watch 17 years of an exoplanet’s journey in only 10 seconds Watch 17 years of an exoplanet’s journey in only 10 seconds

By Laura Baisas

This image taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) shows the young planetary system PDS 70, located nearly 400 light-years away from Earth. The system features a star at its center, around which the planet PDS 70 b is orbiting. On the same orbit as PDS 70b, astronomers have detected a cloud of debris that could be the building blocks of a new planet or the remnants of one already formed. The ring-like structure that dominates the image is a circumstellar disc of material, out of which planets are forming. There is in fact another planet in this system: PDS 70c, seen to the right of the inner rim of the disc.

New image reveals a Jupiter-like world that may share its orbit with a ‘twin’ New image reveals a Jupiter-like world that may share its orbit with a ‘twin’

By Laura Baisas

JWST composite image of barred spiral galaxy NGC 5068, showing its core and part of a spiral arm. Clumps and filaments of dust, represented in a mossy green color, form an almost skeletal structure that follow the twist of the galaxy and its spiral arm.

15 remarkable JWST images that reveal the wonders of our vast universe 15 remarkable JWST images that reveal the wonders of our vast universe

This is an artist impression of exoplanet LTT9779b orbiting its host star. The host star is located on the left as a large white circle with rays coming out of it in orange. The exoplanet is smaller and shown on the right of the image. The side of the exoplanet that is facing its host star is illuminated. The planet is around the size of Neptune and reflects 80% of the light shone on it, making it the largest known “mirror” in the Universe. The background of the image is black and speckled across the image is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes

The Milky Way’s shiniest known exoplanet has glittering metallic clouds The Milky Way’s shiniest known exoplanet has glittering metallic clouds

By Laura Baisas

The TRAPPIST system, which has the most Earth-sized planets known yet.

JWST’s double take of an Earth-sized exoplanet shows it has no sky JWST’s double take of an Earth-sized exoplanet shows it has no sky

By Briley Lewis

An illustration of a hot Jupiter planet, based on Hubble observations.

This hot Jupiter exoplanet unexpectedly hangs out with a super-Earth This hot Jupiter exoplanet unexpectedly hangs out with a super-Earth

By Briley Lewis

Fomalhaut, a star system 25-light-years away, showing a dust cloud and rocky belts.

Asteroid belt circling star 25 light-years away hints at a hidden planet Asteroid belt circling star 25 light-years away hints at a hidden planet

By Briley Lewis

This illustration conceptualizes the swirling clouds identified by the James Webb Space Telescope in the atmosphere of exoplanet VHS 1256 b. The planet is about 40 light-years away and orbits two stars that are locked in their own tight rotation.

Gritty, swirling clouds of silica surround exoplanet VHS 1256 b Gritty, swirling clouds of silica surround exoplanet VHS 1256 b

By Laura Baisas