TESS Space Telescope Discovers First Exoplanet
The TESS space telescope was launched on April 18, 2018, sitting atop a Space X Falcon 9 rocket. This telescope, which is short for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, is designed to scan the night sky in search of one thing — exoplanets, or potentially habitable planets outside of our solar system. This satellite has finally discovered its first exoplanet — LHS3844 b, otherwise known as Pi Mensae c. A “Super Earth” This new exoplanet orbits a sun that is is only slightly larger than our home star. Astronomers have already spotted a massive gas giant orbiting that star — one that is nearly 10 times the mass of Jupiter.…
Blue Gas Giant Discovered in Distant Solar System
An artist’s conception of HD 189733 b following the 2013 confirmation of the planet’s blue color by the Hubble Space Telescope. Image by NASA, ESA, M. Kornmesser. Scientists have determined the color of an alien planet for the first time. Even though we’ve never directly observed an alien planet, since they are outshined by their host star, scientists have found a way to show that they are there, and what their properties are, by examining the effect they have on the star, which we can observe. The first alien planet was only definitely proven to exist in 2003. Within the decade between then and now, scientists have discovered nearly a thousand other…
Nearest Exoplanet Discovered in the Alpha Centauri System
Astronomers from the European Southern Observatory have discovered the nearest extrasolar planet to date, in the Alpha Centauri star system 4.3 light years away. The system is composed of three stars -- two stars similar in size to our Sun orbiting close to each other and…
Tatooine-Like Planet Discovered Orbiting Two Suns
An exoplanet that orbits around two stars, known as a circumbinary planet, has recently been discovered by astronomers using the Kepler space telescope. The planet dubbed Kepler-16b has been compared to the planet Tatooine from Star Wars, due to the fact that it has two Suns in its sky.
How Planets in Alien Star Systems Stack Up [Infographic]
The following infographic is a comparison of three alien star systems with our own solar system. It shows the distance at which all the known planets orbit around their stars. As of August 10, 2011, 573 extra-solar planets have been identified, but so far the three systems illustrated below are the record holders for having the most planets. From this we can see that most discovered planets orbit too close to their stars to be able to support liquid water (and perhaps life). However two of them orbit within the so-called “Goldilocks zone” which means that they are not too hot and not too cold, but just right. Unfortunately planet…
Ara Constellation
Ara is a southern constellation located between Scorpius and Triangulum Australe. It was one of the 48 Greek constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Mythology Ara is a Latin word meaning “altar”, but its mythology comes from ancient Greece. Ara was identified as the altar, made by the Cyclops, where the gods made offerings and formed an alliance to fight the Titans. Notable stars Beta Arae (β Arae) is the brightest star in the constellation. It is an orange K-type bright giant or supergiant with an apparent magnitude of +2.84 and located 603…
Aquarius Constellation
Aquarius is one of the oldest of the recognized constellations along the sun’s apparent path, also known as the zodiac. It was among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for “water-bearer” or “cup-bearer”. It is found in a region often called the Sea because of all the constellations named after a water reference, such as Cetus the whale, Pisces the fish or Eridanus the river. In illustrations, the brightest stars of Aquarius are represented as the figure of a man, while the fainter stars barely visible to the naked eye are represented as…
Andromeda Constellation
Andromeda is a constellation in the northern sky. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. The Andromeda Galaxy is named after the constellation, as it appears within its boundaries. Mythology The constellation is named after Andromeda, the princess and daughter of of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, monarchs of the kingdom of Ethiopia. Cassiopeia boasted that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, the nymphs of the sea that often accompany Poseidon. To punish the Queen for her arrogance, Poseidon sent a whale called Cetus to ravage the coast of Ethiopia. According to…
A Pulsar With Planets
A pulsar is probably the deadliest object in the Universe. Despite their beauty, you wouldn’t want to get close to one of them! They are a type of neutron star that emits a highly focused beam of electromagnetic radiation from both magnetic poles. This radiation, deadly to any form of life, can only be visible when one of the two beams is turned to face towards the observer (which is hopefully not anywhere close). The radiation is so strong that it would disintegrate the molecular bonds holding together DNA strands, killing any life in the process. Pulsars rotate in an extremely regular period. It’s this rotation that makes them pulse,…
