Planet hunting and the origins of life
George Ricker and his team at the MIT Kavli Institute are mapping the entire sky for signs of life.
Documentary featuring Professor Sara Seager wins Emmy Award
“The Hunt for Planet B” follows Seager and others on their search for extraterrestrial life; three other nominated films feature MIT affiliates.
Astronomers discover a multiplanet system nearby
Just 33 light-years from Earth, the system appears to host two rocky, Earth-sized planets.
Peter Fisher to step down as head of the Department of Physics
Professor led MIT department for eight years, playing pivotal leadership roles at the Institute and in physics research and community-building.
A “hot Jupiter’s” dark side is revealed in detail for first time
The planet’s night side likely hosts iron clouds, titanium rain, and winds that dwarf Earth’s jetstream.
TESS Science Office at MIT hits milestone of 5,000 exoplanet candidates
Catalog of planet candidates nearly doubles in size during 2020-21.
TESS discovers a planet the size of Mars but with the makeup of Mercury
The boiling new world, which zips around its star at ultraclose range, is among the lightest exoplanets found to date.
TESS Science Conference II draws nearly 700 virtual attendees
Not just an exoplanet-finder anymore, TESS yields diverse astrophysics results at second science conference.
Research updates from TESS: Hunting for worlds beyond our solar system
MIT scientists present exoplanet data at the 237th American Astronomical Society meeting.
TESS discovers four exoplanets orbiting a nearby sun-like star
MIT-led NASA mission finds a multi-planetary system that could be an “ideal laboratory” to study planetary formation and evolution.
Professor and astrophysicist Sara Seager appointed officer to the Order of Canada
Pioneer in exoplanet research helped transform the burgeoning field into one of the fastest-growing and most exciting in space science.
Astronomers discover an Earth-sized “pi planet” with a 3.14-day orbit
The rocky world, with its baking-hot surface, is likely not habitable.
TESS mission discovers massive ice giant
Neptune-sized planet may be remnant core of a much larger planet.
Lincoln Laboratory welcomes Natalia Guerrero for Hispanic Heritage Month event
MIT Kavli Institute researcher working on the TESS mission gave the keynote address at an annual event organized by the Lincoln Laboratory Hispanic/Latino Network.
Computing and the search for new planets
MIT planetary scientists partner with computer scientists to find exoplanets.