SUNSET: 
60-second Astro News: Mature Infant Galaxies & A Possibly Rogue Planet
This week in astronomy news: Distant galaxies that look older than they are and a terrestrial planet that might be drifting through our galaxy.
First Image of a Young Sun and Two Giant Planets
For the first time, astronomers have imaged multiple planets orbiting a Sun-like star.
Alignment of a Star and a Planet
Unlike in our solar system, not all planets orbit in the same direction as their stars rotate. A nearby planetary system may reveal how these orbits form.
Close Encounters in the Milky Way — and What They Mean for Planets
New research shows stellar flybys are common in our galaxy’s crowded center. That could have both good and bad (but mostly bad) effects on growing planets.
Three Nearby Exoplanets to Explore
A trio of nearby exoplanets make tempting new targets for next-gen telescopes.
First Discoveries of a Pro-Am Exoplanet Survey
A pair of professional and amateur astronomers have teamed up to fill an important niche in exoplanet research.
Are We Watching a Planet Disintegrate?
Among the wealth of exoplanets we’ve discovered beyond our solar system, some are temperate, some less so. New observations have now revealed what may be a particularly inhospitable environment: a planet literally disintegrating as it orbits its host.
How Amateurs Could Help Future Exoplanet Observations
Large observatories will require precise timing info to measure as many exoplanet atmospheres as possible. Backyard astronomers have the power to keep that intel fresh.
60-Second Astro News: Helium Exoplanets and a Supernova Surprise
This week in astronomy news: Inflated helium atmospheres surround two exoplanets, and the Kepler Space Telescope captures the moments around a supernova that hint at a companion star triggering the explosion.
Amateur Planet Hunters Have a New Online Resource
A database run by the American Association of Variable Star Observers will organize and archive data on transiting exoplanets collected by amateur astronomers.
A Chilly Super-Earth May Orbit Barnard's Star
One of the closest stars to the Sun hosts a planet at least three times as massive as our own where temperatures might be just low enough to freeze liquid water.
Planets Appear More Massive Than Disks Where They Form
Infant worlds might gobble up dust quickly, the interstellar environment might feed protoplanetary disks, or planet-building dust could be hiding in plain sight. Although disks of gas and dust around young stars are a necessary precursor to planet formation, an expanded survey of stars in our Galaxy confirms earlier doubts…
Hubble Boosts Case for Exomoon
Exoplanet Kepler-1625b might harbor a moon the size of Neptune—potentially the first confirmed exomoon—but researchers urge caution.
Invite Ross 128 Over This Thanksgiving
With exoplanet Ross 128b in the news, we pay a visit to the star that sustains this potentially habitable exoplanet.
Puffed-Up Hot Jupiter Is Surprisingly Dark
Researchers have found that a football-shaped, ultra-hot gas giant that’s being devoured by its host star is also one of the least reflective exoplanets ever found.
An Atmosphere of Heavy Metals
Researchers have found strong evidence of titanium oxide in the atmosphere of a hot giant planet, adding new insights to the complex motions of these planets’ extreme atmospheres.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Looking Ahead: Space Exploration in 2017
An exciting year lies ahead for spaceflight involving astronomy and planetary science — by NASA and by other spacefaring nations.
Exoplanet Found in Triple Star System
Astronomers have retracted the discovery of a giant planet with an exceptionally wide orbit in a young system of three suns.
New Star and Exoplanet Names OK'd by IAU
Following a wildly popular contest, the International Astronomical Union has named 14 stars and 31 planets that orbit them.
The Planet That is No More
A new analysis confirms that an exoplanet thought to orbit in the habitable zone of the star Gliese 581 actually doesn’t exist.
