Category Archives: Exoplanets

The Hunt For Exoplanets

Posted on April 4, 2017 by ksun1

Space is huge. Really, really huge. And empty. Occasionally, here and there, you’ll stumble across an asteroid, or planet, or perhaps even a star. But all in all, space is exactly what its name states: empty space. It’s difficult to fully appreciate just how gargantuan the universe is, and, beyond that, just how spacey it is. This interactive […] Continue reading →

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TRAPPIST-1

Posted on April 4, 2017 by adamz6300

NASA’s Spitzer telescope has recently discovered multiple Earth size planets orbiting a single star. 7 planets to be exact. The system was named TRAPPIST after the Belgian operated telescope in Chile that discovered the first two planets. These planets are relatively close to us as well. 40 lightyears may seem like a lot, but in astronomical […] Continue reading →

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Some Planets Are Just So Extra… (Extrasolar, That Is)

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ashley Garcia

An extrasolar planet, or an exoplanet, is one which orbits a star other than our Sun. These planets provide interest and opportunities for research, because under the correct conditions, such as those upon Earth, there is a possibility that life could exist and/or be discovered upon these planets. By observing exoplanets, and specifically searching various… Continue reading Some Planets Are Just So Extra… (Extrasolar, That Is) Continue reading →

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Potentially Hospitable Exoplanets

Posted on April 3, 2017 by kendylldellinger

One of the most exciting thoughts for many is the possibility of life on another planet. With our Solar System being explored without success, the search has spread to other systems for a hospitable exoplanet. An exoplanet, also know as an extrasolar planet, is simply a planet outside of our solar system. The goal for […] Continue reading →

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Our Solar System’s Closest Planetary Neighbor

Posted on April 3, 2017 by kic27

Proxima b is a planet much like our own Continue reading →

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Planet-hunting

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Afi Mohd Sayuti

Image of the Surface of Proxima b Why would people live on other planet? Wouldn’t our Earth suffice the human needs? The answer is absolutely. But wouldn’t it be nice to discover some other worlds other than ours? What if there are actual lives out there besides humans who proclaimed to be the dominant of… Continue reading Planet-hunting → Continue reading →

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Super-Earth(s)?

Posted on March 28, 2017 by nazshaiful

The idea of discovering new “Earth-like” planets has always intrigue me! I mean, they could be habitable planets that we can ACTUALLY live in? Just like in Terra Nova (I’ll explain more about that series in the end of this post!). Super-Earth, in short, means exoplanets in which their masses are higher than Earth’s, extra … Continue reading Super-Earth(s)? Continue reading →

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Life: A Love Story

Posted on March 28, 2017 by brynnabhall

Sitting in my late-night astronomy lab last night, we watched a computer simulation (based completely on real, observed data) take us out as far into the universe as our understanding has gone. Starting in the Himalayas, Tibet, then Planet Earth, and rapidly, sooner than I thought possible, we were so far out of my realm … More Life: A Love Story Continue reading →

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Blog #3: PSR J1719-1438 b

Posted on February 14, 2017 by lillyastro2110

PSR J1719-1438 b is a really cool planet. It’s small and massive, and oh yeah, it’s made of diamonds.   PSR J1719-1438 b orbits around star PSR J1719-1438, which is a neutron star and a pulsar. Basically, because the star’s magnetic field is so great, it sends off waves of radiation. The relationship between the star … Continue reading Blog #3: PSR J1719-1438 b Continue reading →

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Blog #2: HAT-P-2’s Heart

Posted on February 14, 2017 by lillyastro2110

A very appropriate post for Valentine’s Day. NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered a unique quality of a star and its orbiting planet that are some 370 light years away. The gravitational interaction between the two cause some vibrations in HAT-P-2 when its orbiting planet HAT-P-2b gets close. HAT-P-2b is a planet with a mass … Continue reading Blog #2: HAT-P-2’s Heart Continue reading →

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