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☆ Giant oddball planet has the density of fluffy cotton candy, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

An international coalition of astronomers has newly discovered an unusual planet, dubbed WASP-193b, that’s about 50% bigger than Jupiter and somehow still the second lightest planet ever found. Because of how small the mass signal was, it took the team four years to gather data and calculate WASP-193b’s mass, Barkaoui explained. Eventually the team discovered the planet’s mass is a measly 14% that of Jupiter, despite being so much bigger. But a bigger size means a bigger “extended atmosphere,” said study coauthor Julien de Wit, an associate professor of planetary science at MIT. “WASP-193b is an outlier of all planets discovered to date,” he said.

Persons: puffy, Kepler, Jupiters, Khalid Barkaoui, James Webb, ”, Barkaoui, Francisco Pozuelos, Julien de Wit, Wit, Stone, puffy Jupiters, it’s Organizations: CNN, James Webb Space Telescope, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, WASP, Spain’s Institute of Astrophysics, MIT Locations: Andalucia

☆ Fossil found on a beach by tween reveals massive marine reptile
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. CNN —As Earth Day approaches and the Wonder Theory newsletter celebrates three years of arriving in your inboxes, I look to the future with hope. “And it’s up to you to choose what sort of impact you make.”Ocean secretsDr. Dean Lomax, (from left) Ruby Reynolds, Justin Reynolds and Paul de la Salle are shown with the fossil discovery in 2020. Dean LomaxIn May 2020, Ruby Reynolds, then 11, and her father, Justin, were searching for fossils on a Somerset beach along the English coast when she spotted something unusual. And when it came to sheer size, the marine reptile likely rivaled the blue whale, currently the largest living animal.

Persons: Jane Goodall, Goodall nurtures, Goodall, ” Goodall, Dean Lomax, Ruby Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, Paul de, Justin, ”, Gaia BH3, Nigel Raine, Dr, Matt Kasson, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Paul de la Salle, Indian Institute of Technology, ESA, West Virginia University, Explorations, NASA, International, CNN Space, Science Locations: Somerset, India, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Guatemala, France, Australia, Naples , Florida, what’s, Canada

☆ Rainbow-like phenomenon may glow on hellish exoplanet WASP-76b
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Observations from the European Space Agency’s Cheops space telescope, or Characterising ExOplanet Satellite, detected a “glory effect” on WASP-76b, an ultra-hot exoplanet 637 light-years from Earth. Cheops captured data from WASP-76b as the planet passed in front of its star, making 23 observations over three years. But the glory effect is created as light moves through a narrow opening and bends, creating colorful, patterned rings. An artist's illustration shows the night-side view of the exoplanet WASP-76b, where iron rains down from the sky. Lueftinger said she believes that the James Webb Space Telescope or Ariel may be able to help prove the presence of the glory effect on WASP-76b.

Persons: Cheops, ”, Olivier Demangeon, Wilson, ” Demangeon, Matthew Standing, —, “, Theresa Lueftinger, Lueftinger, James Webb, Ariel Organizations: CNN —, WASP, Astrophysics, of Astrophysics, Space Sciences, ESA, Hubble, Spitzer, Telescope, European Space Agency, “, James Webb Space Locations: Portugal, Cheops

☆ Astronomers discover a possible water world in the search for a habitable planet, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But a Canadian research group said the planet is likely too hot for liquid water. Related storiesA liquid ocean is the preferred premise set out in a paper published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Tea Temim (Princeton University)The James Webb telescope has played a key role in advancing the search for habitable planets beyond Earth. AdvertisementOne key that scientists look for in a potentially habitable planet is the presence of liquid water. Planets in this zone are neither too hot nor too cold to support liquid water.

Persons: NASA's James Webb, —, Nikku, Madhusudhan, Björn Benneke, Temim, James Webb Organizations: Guardian, Service, University of Cambridge, NASA, Astrophysics, Cambridge, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, ESA, CSA, Princeton University Locations: TOI

☆ Astronomers spot a ‘super-Earth’ 137 light-years away
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Astronomers have discovered a “super-Earth,” or a world larger than our planet, orbiting a star about 137 light-years away. The super-Earth exoplanet, known as TOI-715b, orbits a red dwarf star that is cooler and smaller than our sun. “This discovery is exciting as it’s the first super-Earth from TESS to be found within the conservative habitable zone,” Dransfield said. If the Earth-size planet is confirmed, it will become the smallest planet yet that TESS has found in a habitable zone. TOI-715b’s star has only shown a couple of flares within the past two years and isn’t considered active, making it an old star, Dransfield said.

Persons: TESS, Georgina Dransfield, Dransfield, James Webb, Webb, “, isn’t, PLATO, ” Dransfield, ” Organizations: CNN —, Royal Astronomical Society, Researchers, University of Birmingham’s School of Physics, Astronomers, James Webb Space Telescope Locations: United Kingdom

☆ Mars Perseverance rover loses its trusty scout
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And it’s time to bid farewell to one of the most delightfully plucky robots ever to explore Mars. Other worldsThe Ingenuity helicopter, seen here on Mars in an image taken by the Perseverance rover on August 2, 2023, has flown for the last time. Ingenuity served as the Perseverance rover’s faithful companion and aerial scout for nearly three years since its maiden flight on April 19, 2021. A long time agoAiming to trace syphilis' origins, researchers used paleopathology techniques to study ancient human bones at the site Jabuticabeira II in Brazil's Santa Catarina state. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: ”, Theodore Roosevelt, Teddy Tzanetos, Thomas Jefferson, it’s, Jose Filippini, Samson Acoca, Pierre, Olivier Cheptou, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, European Space Agency, NASA, JPL, Caltech, University of Montpellier, Hubble, —, CNN Space, Science Locations: Pasadena , California, United States, Brazil's Santa Catarina, Brazil, France, British

☆ Hubble finds water vapor in small exoplanet’s atmosphere
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have detected water molecules in the atmosphere of a small, blazing-hot exoplanet 97 light-years from Earth. The planet, named GJ 9827d, is about twice Earth’s diameter, and it’s the smallest exoplanet found to have water vapor in its atmosphere, according to a new study. Starlight filtering through the planet’s atmosphere helped astronomers measure the signature of water molecules. It’s possible that the planet is a mini-Neptune with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere that contains water vapor. Or astronomers suspect that GJ 9827d could be a warmer version of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which contains an ocean beneath a thick, icy crust.

Persons: ”, Laura Kreidberg, Max Planck, Björn Benneke, Hubble, Ian Crossfield, Pierre, Alexis Roy, we’re, ” Benneke, “, GJ, Benneke, Thomas Greene, James Webb, Webb, ” Kreidberg Organizations: CNN —, Hubble, Max, Max Planck Institute, Astronomy, University of Montreal’s Trottier Institute for Research, University of Kansas, University of Montreal’s Trottier Institute, GJ 9827d, NASA’s Ames Research, James Webb Space Telescope, ”, 9827d Locations: Heidelberg, Germany, Lawrence , Kansas, Silicon

☆ Puzzlingly massive planet found orbiting a small star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The planet, about the mass of Neptune and more than 13 times as massive as Earth, was detected orbiting an ultracool M-dwarf star called LHS 3154 — which is nine times less massive than our sun. This graphic compares the sizes of our sun and Earth with the smaller, cooler LHS 3154 star and its orbiting planet, LHS 3154b. For example, small M dwarf stars are the most common throughout the Milky Way galaxy, and they typically have small, rocky planets orbiting them, rather than gas giant planets. “The planet-forming disk around the low-mass star LHS 3154 is not expected to have enough solid mass to make this planet,” Mahadevan said. A team of scientists led by Mahadevan built the HPF, which was designed to detect planets orbiting within the habitable zone of small, cool stars.

Persons: ”, Suvrath Mahadevan, Verne M, ” Mahadevan, Mahadevan, “, Megan Delamer, ” Delamer Organizations: CNN —, LHS, Penn, Penn State, McDonald Observatory Locations: Texas

☆ Six exoplanets spotted in a cosmic waltz around nearby star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And the planets, labeled b through g, revolve around the star in a celestial dance known as orbital resonance. For every six orbits completed by planet b, the closest planet to the star, the outermost planet g completes one. As planet c makes three revolutions around the star, planet d does two, and when planet e completes four orbits, planet f does three. Detecting a mysteryResearchers first took notice of the star system in 2020 when NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, detected dips in the brightness of HD110067. “It shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched.”The discovery is the second time Cheops has helped reveal a planetary system with orbital resonance.

Persons: TESS, Rafael Luque, Cheops, ”, Luque, “ Cheops, ” Luque, Maximilian Günther, they’re, James Webb, Webb, Jo Ann Egger Organizations: CNN —, ESA, University of Chicago’s, “, James Webb Space, Telescope, University of Bern Locations: Switzerland

☆ NASA scientists think some planets are shrinking because powerful radiation from their cores is pushing away their atmospheres
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Planets beyond our solar system have a size gap, where worlds seem to shrink past a certain range. Scientists think this is because some sub-Neptunes shrink — losing their atmospheres and speeding through the size gap until they are as small as a super-Earth. AdvertisementThe planets themselves may be pushing their atmospheres awayShrinking exoplanets may lack the mass (and therefore the gravity) to hold their atmospheres close. AdvertisementThe other hypothesis, called photoevaporation, says that a planet's atmosphere is dissipated by the radiation of its host star. AdvertisementThe scientists found that most of the planets there retained their atmosphere, making the core-powered mass loss a more likely cause of eventual atmosphere loss.

Persons: —, Jessie Christiansen, Mark Garlick, NASA's, Christiansen Organizations: NASA, Service, JPL, Caltech, Kepler Space, Harvard

☆ Massive cosmic explosion creates rare elements in space
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The James Webb Space Telescope and other observatories witnessed a massive explosion in space that created rare chemical elements, some of which are necessary for life. Tracking stellar explosionsAstronomers have long believed that neutron star mergers are the celestial factories that create rare elements heavier than iron. What was unusual about this burst is that it lasted for 200 seconds, making it a long gamma-ray burst. One of the pair exploded as a supernova, leaving behind a neutron star, and then the same thing happened to the other star. Finding cosmic elementsAstronomers have been trying to determine how chemical elements are created in the universe for decades.

Persons: James Webb, ”, Andrew Levan, Levan, Webb, Fermi, Neil Gehrels, “, Dmitri Mendeleev, ” Levan, it’s, supernovas, Eric Burns, Om Sharan Salafia, Nancy Grace, “ Webb, Ben Gompertz, ” Gompertz Organizations: CNN, James Webb Space Telescope, Way Galaxy, Telescope, Radboud University, Observatory, Royal Society of Chemistry, Astronomers, Louisiana State University, National Institute for Astrophysics, Institute, Gravitational, School of Physics, University of Birmingham Locations: Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom

☆ How seaweed shaped the past and could shape our future
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Too often seaweed is portrayed as a slimy, smelly nuisance that disrupts beach trips and ocean swims. In fact, seaweed, officially a type of marine algae, is an untapped resource that could transform the planet and our health. Farmer Jean-Marie Pedron picks edible seaweed along a beach of Le Croisic in western France in March 2021, for a three-starred chef. As well as offering hope for the future, seaweed indelibly shaped our past, as a fascinating finding released this week has revealed. Hassanain Qambari & Jayden Dickson/Nikon Small World Photomicrography CompetitionCaffeine crystals in a kaleidoscope of color.

Persons: CNN —, Farmer Jean, Marie Pedron, Loic Venance, Vincent Doumeizel, Karen Hardy, —, James Webb, Luke Farritor, Salvatore Laporta, ”, papyrologist Michael McOsker, Farritor, Svante Pääbo, hominins, Hassanain Qambari, Jayden Dickson, Mona Lisa ”, Leonardo da Vinci, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Getty, United Nations, Telescope, National, AP, University of Nebraska, University College London, Diabetes, Nikon, Lions Eye Institute, CNN Space, Science Locations: Le Croisic, France, AFP, Orkney, Scotland, Mount, Naples, Italy, Europe, Altai, Central Asia, Australia, Alaska

☆ Quartz crystals detected swirling in atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-17b
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have for the first time detected tiny quartz crystals containing silica — a common mineral on Earth — within the atmosphere of a blazing hot exoplanet. An artist's concept depicts what the exoplanet WASP-17b could look like. What the quartz crystals reveal about WASP-17bWasp-17b takes 3.7 Earth days to complete one orbit around its star. Webb detected quartz crystals in the atmosphere of WASP-17b. While the clouds can drift around the planet, they likely vaporize on the hot day side, which could send the quartz particles swirling.

Persons: James Webb, Ralf Crawford, “, ”, David Grant, Hannah Wakeford, ” Grant, Wakeford Organizations: CNN —, NASA, ESA, CSA, University of Bristol, WASP, Minerals, “ WASP

☆ Strange ‘earthquake lights’ explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —I once felt the immense force unleashed by an earthquake in 1999 when I was living in Taipei, Taiwan. It was a feeling I was reminded of again this week when writing about a mysterious seismic phenomenon witnessed during Morocco’s recent devastating earthquake. Force of natureReports of multicolor “earthquake lights,” such as the ones seen in videos captured before Morocco’s 6.8 magnitude quake on September 8, go back centuries to ancient Greece. Researchers are beginning to understand the different forms the lights take and where they might appear. One 2014 study found the mystery lights could result from certain rocks when put under stress, but there is still no consensus on exactly what causes these outbursts.

Persons: CNN —, James Webb, Rhea Seddon, Anna Fisher, Judy Resnik, Shannon Lucid, Sally Ride, Kathy Sullivan, dryly, Arabella, Anita, Miss Baker, wasn’t, Jesse Rorabaugh, ”, Mattia Menchetti, Frank Rubio, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, United, of Evolutionary, CNN Space, Science Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Greece, Mexico City, Thailand, Africa, Guam, North America, United Nations, Europe, Italy, Spain

☆ Astronomers aren't crying 'aliens' yet, but NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is making this planet look a lot more habitable
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovered signs of a vast ocean on the planet K2-18 b. Astronomers can't directly look at the surface of the planet, called K2-18 b, but Webb analyzed its atmosphere for hints of what may lie below. That's a strong mark against the molecule's existence on K2-18 b. Confirming these findings requires a lot more observation of K2-18 b. As Blain put it: "K2-18 b is not exactly an Earth twin."

Persons: NASA's James Webb, Webb, James Webb, Madhusudhan, That's, Aaron Gronstal, Doriann Blain, Max Planck, Blain, peered, Webb’s, Crawford, J, Olmsted, haven't, Eliza Kempton, we've, Markus Scheucher, Kempton, I'd, there's, Marianne Guenot Organizations: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, Service, NASA, University of Cambridge, DMS, Max, Max Planck Institute, Astronomy, Hubble, European Space Agency, CSA, ESA, Cambridge University, Astrophysical Journal, University of Maryland, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Webb telescope spies signs of water on habitable-zone exoplanet
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Webb telescope, which can detect infrared light invisible to the human eye, searched for exactly what elements are featured in the planet’s atmosphere. On Earth, dimethyl sulfide “is only produced by life,” according to NASA. Hot ocean worldsThe discoveries about its atmospheric composition suggest it could be a “Hycean exoplanet,” a theoretical type of exoplanet that runs hot but is covered in oceans and has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. There are no confirmed Hycean exoplanets just yet. “This means our work here is but an early demonstration of what Webb can observe in habitable-zone exoplanets.”

Persons: CNN — Waters, James Webb, Webb, Nikku Madhusudhan, Madhusudhan, —, ” Madhusudhan, ”, Savvas Constantinou Organizations: CNN, James Webb Space Telescope, NASA, Hubble, University of Cambridge, Astrophysical

☆ A planet’s atmosphere is blasted away by a star and Hubble captures it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Hubble Space Telescope captured an unexpected observation of a nearby planet that’s having its atmosphere blasted away by energetic outbursts from its star. As the planet is blasted by radiation, its atmosphere heats to the point that it escapes the planet’s gravity and puffs out into space. The planet gets hit with flares, X-rays and stellar wind, or a charged stream of particles released from the star. “This creates a really unconstrained and frankly, scary, stellar wind environment that’s impacting the planet’s atmosphere,” Rockcliffe said. Astronomers will conduct more follow-up observations of the system with Hubble to track how the planet changes in the future.

Persons: Hubble, NASA’s, “ We’ve, ”, Keighley Rockcliffe, “, ’, ” Rockliffe, ” Rockcliffe, Rockcliffe Organizations: CNN, Hubble, Spitzer, Telescope, Keighley, Dartmouth College Locations: Hanover , New Hampshire

☆ Titanium Clouds Engulf This Ultrahot Neptune-like Planet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Katrina Miller | More About Katrina Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Astronomers have come across the shiniest planet ever found, a mere 265 light years from our solar system. Shrouded by thick metallic clouds, this world’s temperature reaches a blistering 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and it quite likely rains scorching-hot drops of titanium. The find, named LTT 9779 b, was described in a paper published this month in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. Nearly five times as big as Earth, it’s one of the few ultrahot, gaseous exoplanets of this size that scientists have discovered. But LTT 9779 b, which sprints around its star once every 19 hours, is midsize — making it one of four or five planets in the so-called Neptune desert, and the only one with an intact atmosphere.

Persons: ”, James Jenkins Organizations: Astrophysics, Diego Portales University, NASA’s Locations: Chile

☆ Rare ‘Trojan’ world may share the same orbit as another planet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Astronomers may have found a rare “sibling” that shares the same orbit of a Jupiter-like planet around a young star. Two Jupiter-like planets, known as PDS 70b and PDS 70c, are already known to orbit the star. Evidence for Trojans beyond our solar system — specifically Trojan planets — has been sparse until now. The signal suggested a cloud of debris with a mass of about twice that of our moon, which could be a Trojan planet or a planet in formation. A cloud of debris (circled by a yellow dotted line) may be a newly forming planet in the same orbit as the planet PDS 70b.

Persons: ”, Olga Balsalobre, Lucy, “ Exotrojans, Jorge Lillo, Itziar De Gregorio, Monsalvo, “, Ruza, ALMA Organizations: CNN —, Astrophysics, Madrid’s, Astrobiology, IAU, Southern, Science, NASA Locations: ALMA, Chile

☆ A Canadian lake best charts humanity’s impact on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Fossils embedded in rock reveal intriguing details about animals, plants and other life-forms that once called Earth home. ConsequencesCrawford Lake in Ontario is the geological site that best reflects a new epoch recognizing the impact of human activity on Earth, said geologists of the Anthropocene Working Group. The Anthropocene Working Group determined in 2016 that the epoch began around 1950 — the start of the era of nuclear testing. The international research group says that Crawford Lake in Ontario best charts humanity’s impact on Earth. Back then, it took 10 hours to relay a single image to Earth — incredibly slow by today’s standards.

Persons: Crawford, they’ve, Amenhotep III, didn’t, Philippe Martinez, Mona Lisa of Egypt, Thais Rabito Pansani, —, Webb, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Conservation, Scientists, MAFTO, Sorbonne University, NASA Mariner, Mariner, NASA Jet Propulsion, CNN Space, Science Locations: Ontario, Brazil, South America, Americas

☆ Webb telescope’s first anniversary image reveals the birth of sunlike stars
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a stunning new image of the closest star-forming region to Earth, located 390 light-years away. The release of the image marks the first anniversary since the space observatory began observing the universe. “Webb’s image of Rho Ophiuchi allows us to witness a very brief period in the stellar lifecycle with new clarity. The most powerful telescope ever sent to space, Webb launched on December 25, 2021, and NASA shared its first set of scintillating images on July 12, 2022. Both have served as the targets of other telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope in the past.

Persons: James Webb, another’s, ”, Klaus Pontoppidan, Webb, “, Bill Nelson, “ Webb, Nicola Fox, Eric Smith, “ Webb’s, Jane Rigby, NASA’s, “ We’ve, we’ve, — Organizations: CNN, Telescope, Telescope Science, NASA, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters, Hubble, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Locations: Baltimore , Maryland, Greenbelt , Maryland

☆ The Milky Way's shiniest known planet has metal clouds that rain down titanium. Astronomers say it 'shouldn't exist.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A planet five times the size of Earth was found to be the shiniest planet outside our solar system. This ultra-hot planet "shouldn't exist" as it is and could be a new class of planet altogether. This planet's hot metal atmosphere is defying astronomers' rules for how planets of this size should behave. Venus, the solar system's shiniest planet, reflects 75% of the sunlight. "We believe these metal clouds help the planet to survive" in these conditions said study author Sergio Hoyer of the Marseille Astrophysics Laboratory.

Persons: LTT9779, Vivien Parmentier, NASA Exoplanet LTT9779, James Jenkins, Ricardo Ramírez Reyes, Exoplanet, It's, Parmentier, Sergio Hoyer Organizations: Service, European Space Agency, ESA, NASA, Diego Portales University, CATA, Universidad, Universidad de Chile, Marseille Astrophysics, Astrophysics Locations: Wall, Silicon, Côte d'Azur, Universidad de, Marseille

☆ Shiniest exoplanet ever found has reflective metal clouds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —An ultrahot exoplanet that zips around its host star every 19 hours is the shiniest exoplanet ever discovered. The scorching world, dubbed planet LTT9779b, has reflective metallic clouds made of silicates and metals like titanium. An artist's illustration shows an exoplanet, called LTT9779b, orbiting its much larger host star. The side of the exoplanet that faces its host star likely reaches 3,632 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 degrees Celsius). And LTT9779b is so piping hot that it shouldn’t have any clouds, even those made of metal or glass.

Persons: Ricardo Ramírez Reyes, LTT9779b, ”, James Jenkins, Vivien Parmentier, ” Parmentier, “, ” Vivien, Sergio Hoyer Organizations: CNN, European Southern Observatory, Universidad de Chile, Astrophysics, Diego Portales University, Marseille Astrophysics Locations: Chile, Santiago , Chile, Nice, France, Marseille

☆ Ghostly lights paint a new portrait of the Milky Way
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. CNN —The universe is filled with infinite mysteries, and scientists are tackling them, one celestial puzzle at a time. Across the universeAn artist's illustration depicts the Milky Way seen through a neutrino lens, which is shown in blue. National Science FoundationThere is no shortage of scintillating imagery of the Milky Way galaxy — but we’ve never seen it from this perspective. Astronomers used a detector sunk deep into the thick ice of Antarctica to trace “ghost particles” that created a new portrait of the Milky Way.

Persons: James Webb, we’ve, you’ve, exoplanet, Halla, Adam Makarenko, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Virgin Galactic’s, James Webb Space, European Space Agency, . National Science, Schmidt Ocean Institute, Beatles, ”, Keck, —, CNN Space, Science Locations: Antarctica, Costa Rica, Strait, Gibraltar, Spain

☆ Scientists spot a planet that shouldn’t exist
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Jupiter-like planet located 520 light-years from Earth may be an unlikely survivor after its host star had a temper tantrum. The gas planet is known as 8 UMi b and was named Halla after its initial discovery by Korean astronomers in 2015. The exoplanet orbits a giant star larger than our sun named Baekdu, located in the Ursa Minor, or “Little Bear,” constellation. Halla orbits Baekdu at a distance about half that between the Earth and the sun at 0.46 astronomical units, or 42,759,659 miles (68,815,020 kilometers). While our solar system only has one star, many stars across the universe exist in binary pairs.

Persons: Halla, “, ”, Dan Huber, Marc Hon, ” Huber, Tim Organizations: CNN, Ursa, Australian Research, University of Sydney, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Keck Observatory, Halla, Star Wars Locations: South Korea, Manoa, Canada, France, Hawaii, Mauna Kea

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