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HD 80606b: The Hotheaded Exoplanet
Astronomers have found a "hot Jupiter" whose atmospheric temperature jumps nearly 1,300°F in just six hours! That gives a whole new meaning to "global warming."
Exoplanets Dance in the Same Plane
Three planets orbit the red dwarf star Gliese 876, and at least two of them do so in nearly the same plane, according to an ingenious new study of their interaction.
Have a Hot Time on WASP-12b
An international team of observers has found an alien world where the temperature is always a toasty 4,600°F and it takes just a second or two to get a great suntan.
A Distant World in Hot Water
Astronomers report that a planet circling a star 63 light-years away in Vulpecula is wreathed in an atmosphere containing water vapor.
Another Direct Exoplanet Image
A tiny, glowing dot apparently orbits just inside the inner edge of the dusty debris disk surrounding the star Beta Pictoris, 64 light-years away.
First True Exoplanet Images…Probably
Although questions remain, it appears that astronomers have at last taken images of actual planets orbiting other stars.
Exoplanet Search Strategies
What will be the best ways to discover extrasolar planets in the coming years? The best scientific payoffs demand smart planning now.
Our "Goldilocks" Solar System
Think our planetary family is normal? Think again. It turns out that the Sun and its retinue formed when the interstellar mix was just right — not too much gas, not too little, and stirred gently for just the right amount of time.
Are Jupiters Hard to Come By?
A recent survey of stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster reveals that less than 10% of stars there have enough material in their surrounding disks to form Jupiter-sized planets.
Signs Found of Many “Super-Earths”
Jupiter-like exoplanets are outnumbered by smaller planets three to one, say astronomers describing their cutting-edge work in progress.
A Raft of New Planets in Silhouette
The SuperWASP project finds 10 new extrasolar planets crossing the faces of their stars.
Dust in a Hot Jupiter's Atmosphere
Precise measures by Hubble indicate that a roasting "hot Jupiter" close to its star has an atmosphere thick with dust.
A Star with Five Planets
The Sun-like star 55 Cancri, just 41 light-years away, is now known to have at least five planets orbiting it.
Amateurs Spot Transiting Exoplanet
Using modest gear and a lot of skill, amateur astronomers catch a record-breaking planet crossing the face of its star 250 light-years away.
The Most Puffed-Up Planet
Astronomers have discovered possibly the biggest exoplanet yet. TrES-4 is about 70% wider than Jupiter and has the average density of balsa wood.
Why So Lopsided?
A star 150 light-years away is surrounded by a disk of debris that might indicate that hidden planets are throwing their weight around.
Why are there two peaks in the light curve on page 97 of the October 2005 issue?
Why are there two peaks in the light curve on page 97 of the October 2005 issue? One might imagine that a planet of the star would produce only one sharp peak on the rounded dashed line. But why two? This is an insightful question, because astronomers who use the…
