New research shows how the star's powerful outbursts could help scientists assess which worlds might support life.

More research is needed before scientists can determine whether the recently observed methane signatures point to the presence of an atmosphere or are simply the result of contamination from the host ...

In a remarkable advancement for astrophysics, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has detected unprecedented concentrations of methanol (CH₃OH) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in the ...

For decades, the search for alien life has revolved around a narrow ring around stars where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface. That “habitable zone” remains important, but astronomers are ...

China search for Earth 2.0 leads a bold 2026–2030 space plan to probe the early universe, our Sun, and Earth-like exoplanets.

As Santa sits at the North Pole anticipating the discovery of life on some far-flung planet he might be somewhat nervously scanning the latest scientific literature to see which exoplanets are hot top ...

Earth” that sits in the temperate zone of its star, instantly vaulting it into the short list of worlds that might be able to ...

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened a new chapter in planetary science, giving astronomers the ability to observe JWST exoplanets with a level of detail never before possible. Launched as ...

Our search for exoplanets is focused on Milky Way stars. It's been successful, with more than 6,000 detected so far. Scientists are even beginning to move beyond mere detections, and working on ...

This artist’s concept shows the volatile red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 and its four most closely orbiting planets, all of which have been observed by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST has yet ...