Smallest-ever star discovered by astronomers
12 July 2017A star about the size of Saturn – the smallest ever measured – has been identified by astronomers.
New details of TRAPPIST-1 system’s outermost planet confirm earlier predictions
22 May 2017An international team of astronomers, including researchers from the University of Cambridge, used data gathered by the Kepler Space Telescope to observe and confirm details of the outermost of seven exoplanets orbiting the star TRAPPIST-1.
Newly discovered planets could have water on their surfaces
22 February 2017An international team of astronomers has found a system of seven potentially habitable planets orbiting a star 39 light years away three of which could have water on their surfaces raising the possibility they could host life. Using ground and space telescopes, the team identified the planets as they passed in front of the ultracool dwarf star known as TRAPPIST-1. The star is around eight per cent of the mass of the Sun and is no bigger than Jupiter.
First atmospheric study of Earth-sized exoplanets using Hubble telescope
20 July 2016Two Earth-sized exoplanets have become the first rocky worlds to have their atmospheres studied using the Hubble Space Telescope.
Planets similar to Jupiter are likely able to form on orbits shorter than the Earth’s
15 July 2016After analyzing four years of Kepler space telescope observations, astronomers from the University of Toronto, and of the University of Cambridge have given us our clearest understanding yet of a class of exoplanets called “warm Jupiters”, showing that many have unexpected planetary companions.
Three potentially habitable worlds found around nearby ultracool dwarf star
02 May 2016Three Earth-sized planets have been discovered orbiting a dim and cool star, and may be the best place to search for life beyond the Solar System.
