Searching for solar systems like our own
Josh Winn’s hunt for exoplanets may someday reveal habitable, Earth-like worlds.
A far-off solar system
Researchers measure the orientation of a multiplanet system and find it very similar to our own solar system.
Newfound exoplanet may turn to dust
A planet’s dust cloud may explain strange patterns of light from its star.
Two new Earth-sized exoplanets discovered
Some 950 light-years away, team finds smallest exoplanets yet detected.
Stellar eclipse gives glimpse of exoplanet
New data reveals a ‘super-Earth’ next door, astronomically speaking
3 Questions: Sara Seager on discovering a trove of new planets
NASA’s Kepler orbiting telescope has found hundreds of new possible planets, including 54 in the so-called 'habitable zone.'
Explained: Transiting exoplanets
How astronomers learn whether a planet is habitable by observing slight changes in light emanating from its parent star.
The final frontier
Now that an Earthlike planet has been discovered, the key to confirming that it can host life will be to study its atmosphere in detail
Learning from hot Jupiters
By studying how massive planets may have formed, MIT astrophysicist sets the stage for studying smaller, more Earthlike planets.
Building a list of Earth candidates
MIT researchers increase their odds of detecting an Earthlike planet by working on a combination of satellite missions.
Astronomers detect first carbon-rich exoplanet
Discovery opens door to new class of exoplanets, including rocky planets rich in diamond and graphite.
Growing Earth’s oceans
Study suggests that trace amounts of water created oceans on Earth and other terrestrial planets, including those outside the solar system.