An alien planet that orbits a star other than our sun is referred to as an "exoplanet." Learn more about the types of alien planets, including exoplanets and extrasolar planets, and get the latest news.
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The top space stories of the week!
By Doris Elin Urrutia 2 days ago
These are the top space stories this week from Space.com.
NASA's TESS exoplanet-hunting space telescope wraps up primary mission
By Mike Wall 12 days ago
TESS wrapped up its two-year primary mission on July 4, having discovered 66 confirmed alien planets and nearly 2,100 "candidates" that scientists still need to vet.
Extragalactic planets? Gravitational waves could help us find them.
By Charles Q. Choi 14 days ago
Scientists may one day detect alien planets outside the Milky Way using the ripples in space and time known as gravitational waves, a new study finds.
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Thousands of Earthlike 'blanets' might circle the Milky Way's central black hole
By Rafi Letzter 18 days ago
Tens of thousands of planets like Earth and Neptune might orbit the giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman space telescope will send the hunt for exoplanets into warp speed
By Elizabeth Howell 20 days ago
A new NASA space observatory could push planet-hunting forward at warp speed by gathering data up to 500 times faster than the venerable Hubble Space Telescope does.
When worlds collide: Stunning 3D simulation shows what happens in giant planetary crashes (video)
By Samantha Mathewson 24 days ago
New 3D supercomputer simulations show the early stages of planetary collisions, demonstrating what may happen to an Earth-like planet struck by a giant object.
'Mini-Neptunes' may be rocky water worlds
By Elizabeth Howell a month ago
A strong greenhouse effect allows these "super-Earth" exoplanets to masquerade as "mini-Neptunes."
Multiplanet system around sunlike star photographed for 1st time ever
By Mike Wall July 22, 2020
For the first time ever, astronomers have directly imaged multiple planets orbiting a sunlike star.
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Citizen scientists and astronomers find two strange, ancient brown dwarfs
By Doris Elin Urrutia July 17, 2020
Citizen scientists recently helped direct astronomers to a pair of objects that straddle the line between planets and stars.
Most of the Milky Way's life-hosting planets may have formed early on
By Elizabeth Howell July 09, 2020
Rocky planets that formed early in our Milky Way galaxy's 13.2-billion-year history have a better chance of supporting life than worlds that were later to the party, a new study suggests.
Exposed planetary core spotted circling distant star
By Mike Wall July 01, 2020
Astronomers have spotted the exposed core of a massive alien planet, an unprecedented find that could shed considerable light on planet formation, evolution and diversity.
6 exomoons orbiting alien worlds? Well, it's complicated.
By Meghan Bartels June 26, 2020
In our neighborhood, three quarters of planets have at least one moon, but no such object has been confidently discovered so far in distant star systems — such worlds are just too small and far away.
Newfound 'super-Earth' exoplanets bear clues about atmospheres of alien worlds
By Charles Q. Choi June 25, 2020
The brightest red dwarf star in the sky may be the best chance astronomers have yet to analyze the atmospheres of alien worlds — and perhaps detect whether those worlds have life, a new study finds.
Newly discovered alien planet spotted zipping around highly active star
By Elizabeth Howell June 25, 2020
Two veteran NASA planet-hunting missions found a Neptune-size planet that circles its young star every Earth week.
Is the Milky Way harboring dozens of intelligent alien civilizations?
By Chelsea Gohd June 17, 2020
Are dozens of intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations lurking right in our home galaxy?
Dusty alien planets could be more likely to harbor life, study suggests
By Chelsea Gohd June 12, 2020
Dusty alien planets might have a better chance at harboring life, a new study suggests.
Record breaker! Briefcase-size satellite spots alien planet
By Mike Wall June 05, 2020
A satellite the size of a briefcase successfully detected an alien world, potentially paving the way for a future network of bantam planet-hunting spacecraft.
Proxima b, the closest exoplanet we know, may be even more Earth-like than we thought
By Chelsea Gohd May 29, 2020
The closest alien planet to our solar system is even more Earth-like than scientists had thought, new observations suggest.
Baby exoplanet spotted growing around distant star (photo)
By Mike Wall May 20, 2020
New imagery apparently pinpoints the spot where a baby planet is forming around the young star AB Aurigae, which lies 520 light-years from Earth.
Scientists spot super-Earth planet in Earth-like orbit
By Meghan Bartels May 12, 2020
Scientists suspect they have identified an intriguing new alien planet in a particularly roundabout way.
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