exoplanet

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Two Completely Different Twilights on an Alien World

Austin Burgess·June 16, 2026

For the first time, astronomers have distinguished between the morning and evening atmospheres of a single planet, revealing two remarkably different environments at its edges.

Exoplanet Magnetism Revealed in New Study Researchers Call a “Key Step” in Decoding the Survival of Planets

Ryan Whalen·June 2, 2026

The best evidence for exoplanet magnetic fields ever discovered has emerged from new research that measures wind speeds on ultra-hot Jupiters.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Just Revealed Surprising Surface Details on a Nearby ‘Super-Earth’

Christopher Plain·May 5, 2026

In a historic first, scientists have successfully characterized several surface features and the likely mineral composition of an exoplanet

Scientists Say These 45 Exoplanets Could Be Humanity’s Real-Life “Hail Mary” Targets For Alien Life

Tim McMillan·March 26, 2026

Researchers identify 45 rocky exoplanets that may offer the best chances yet to find alien life beyond Earth.

A Rare Glimpse into the Birth of New Worlds: Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics Discover Newly Forming Protoplanet

Christopher Plain·March 26, 2026

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have discovered a distant protoplanet still in the formation process

James Webb Space Telescope Discovers New Type of Magma Planet With “No Equivalent in Our Own Solar System”

Ryan Whalen·March 16, 2026

The James Webb Space Telescope and supplementary observations have revealed a new type of magma planet, rich in sulphur.

Did NASA Just Find ET’s Home? Scientists Detect an Earth-like Planet Orbiting a Sun-like Star

Christopher Plain·February 3, 2026

NASA has announced the discovery of an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star that shares several other similarities with Earth

Astronomy in 2025: This Year’s Most Captivating Discoveries in Space and the Cosmos

Micah Hanks·December 24, 2025

Here is a look at just a few of the biggest developments in astronomy that The Debrief has been tracking in 2025.

“What the Heck is This?”: Astronomers Can’t Explain this Exoplanet’s Bizarre Diamond-Forming Atmosphere

Ryan Whalen·December 20, 2025

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has now observed an oddly shaped exoplanet with an unexplaiable atmosphere.

“There Are a Couple Suspicious Objects”: Discovery of Star Wars-Style Planet Orbiting Two Suns Could Lead to More Unexpected Finds

Christopher Plain·December 16, 2025

Astronomers combing through old image data have found evidence of a Star Wars-style planet orbiting two suns that previous studies had missed.

Astronomers Have Observed the First Coronal Mass Ejection Outside Of Our Solar System, Spelling Bad News for Exoplanet Habitability

Ryan Whalen·November 16, 2025

For the first time, astronomers have spotted a coronal mass ejection exploding from a star other than our Sun.

Scientists Map the Colors of Life to Hunt for Potential Biosignatures on Alien Worlds

Ryan Whalen·November 3, 2025

In the search for alien life, one Cornell researcher says color may be a telltale sign of biosignatures on far-off exoplanets.

Unexpected Earth-Sized Exoplanets Discovered in Binary Star System “Test the Limits of Planet Formation Models”

Ryan Whalen·October 28, 2025

A trio of newly discovered exoplanets is defying the expectation that binary systems are hostile to planet formation, according to an international team of researchers.

“One of the Best Habitable Zone Planets” Likely Has an Atmosphere, Says New Exoplanet Research

Ryan Whalen·September 9, 2025

In hopeful news in the search for ET, researchers have discovered signs suggesting an atmosphere surrounding an Earth-like exoplanet.

Landmark James Webb Space Telescope Discovery Has Astronomers Working to Solve “The Case of a Disappearing Planet”

Ryan Whalen·August 9, 2025

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has provided crucial new evidence of a giant planet orbiting one of three stars making up Alpha Centauri.

Aliens, or Something Else? Astronomers Thought Life Might Exist on This Exoplanet—New James Webb Telescope Data Says Otherwise

Micah Hanks·July 25, 2025

Claims that extraterrestrial life may exist on the exoplanet K2-18b face new challenges from James Webb Space Telescope data.

“It Could Tell Us the Story of Many Other Solar Systems”: Doomed Exoplanet May Change Our Understanding of Planetary Evolution

Ryan Whalen·July 16, 2025

On a collision course with its star, the Jupiter-like exoplanet TOI-2109b has astronomers keenly observing its unusual orbital decay.

Astronomers Detect a Mysterious Giant and “Hidden Substructures” Lurking in the Haze Around a Young Star

Ryan Whalen·July 14, 2025

Shrouded by a swirl of gas and dust, a gas giant, roughly three to ten times the size of Jupiter, was found in a new exoplanet discovery.

“E-MERLIN is Showing What’s Possible”: UK Telescope Array Captures a Rare Look at Protoplanetary “Pebbles”

Ryan Whalen·July 9, 2025

New observations from England’s e-MERLIN interferometer telescope array display cosmic pebbles that will one day grow into entire exoplanets.

James Webb Space Telescope Has Spotted Something “Abnormal, Chaotic, and Strange” 60 Light-Years from Earth

Micah Hanks·June 15, 2025

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has spotted an “abnormal, chaotic, and strange" planetary system 60 light-years from Earth.

Astronomers Have Spotted a Giant Exoplanet Forming in Distant Star System

Ryan Whalen·June 12, 2025

A newly formed planet may have been discovered by astronomers after identifying what seems to be a gas giant in a planet-forming disk's gap.

A Rare ‘Super-Earth’ Has Been Identified by Astronomers Using This Breakthrough Exoplanet Detection Method

Ryan Whalen·June 7, 2025

Chinese and German scientists have utilized the Transit Timing Variation technique to locate an exoplanet super-Earth for the first time.

“Groundbreaking” James Webb Space Telescope Discoveries on WASP-121b Set “a Precedent for Future Exoplanet Studies”

Ryan Whalen·June 3, 2025

James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) observations of exoplanet WASP-121b are contributing valuable clues about how the planet formed.

James Webb Telescope Unveils Secrets of Small, Mysterious Planets That “Don’t Exist in Our Solar System.”

Ryan Whalen·May 7, 2025

For the first time, astronomers have used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to peer through the thick haze of a sub-Neptune planet’s atmosphere, offering new clues about one of the universe’s most mysterious and common types of worlds.

Scientists Discover Super-Earths Are Surprisingly Common Across the Galaxy

Ryan Whalen·May 1, 2025

Exoplanet super-Earths are more prevalent in the universe than earlier research predicated according to international scientists.

James Webb Space Telescope Snaps The First Images of an Exoplanet with Possible Life-Giving CO₂

Ryan Whalen·March 17, 2025

New James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) images show the first carbon dioxide-containing planet discovered outside of Earth’s solar system. 

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Phenomena Behind the Deaths of Mysterious “Disintegrating Planets”

Micah Hanks·February 1, 2025

New insights into the extreme conditions behind "disintegrating planets" reveals how they are consumed by the heat of their host stars.

Evidence of Alien Life Became One of 2024’s Hot Topics—Could 2025 Be the Year We Learn We’re Not Alone?

Micah Hanks·December 31, 2024

Could we find alien life in 2025? Recent findings suggest we may be closer than ever to answering one of science's greatest questions.

Researchers Discover Mysterious Exoplanet That Displays “Very Unusual” Unpredictable Movement

Tim McMillan·September 6, 2024

Researchers have identified a mysterious exoplanet exhibiting an unusual orbit that defies conventional astrophysical theories. 

Exoplantets Could Be Hiding Something Beneath Their Surface That Boosts Possibility of Alien Life

Ryan Whalen·August 22, 2024

New research suggests that planets once assumed to be covered in massive global oceans may be more Earth-like than earlier models predicted.

Webb Telescope’s Atmospheric Findings on Exoplanet WASP-39 b Reveal Night and Day on an Alien World

Ryan Whalen·July 17, 2024

For the first time, "morning" and "evening" side atmospherics have been measured on a tidally locked exoplanet 700 light years away.

Newly Discovered Exoplanet Baffles Astronomers, Who Call it “Wacky” and “Eccentric”

MJ Banias·July 16, 2024

Astronomers have found an eccentric exoplanet, making it quite “wacky” compared to other exoplanets that have been found.

Webb Telescope Reveals “Best Habitable Zone Exoplanet Currently Known,” and It Could Be Home to Alien Life

Micah Hanks·July 9, 2024

The James Webb Space Telescope has helped identify “one of the most promising habitable zone exoplanet candidates” ever discovered.

Clues to Exoplanet Formation Unveiled in Smelly New Astronomical Discovery

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 9, 2024

A multi-university team of researchers has recently identified a crucial compound in the atmosphere of exoplanet HD 189733 b.

Mysterious Newly Discovered “Phoenix” Exoplanet with Atmosphere Near Star Forcing Scientists to Rethink Planetary Evolution

Tim McMillan·June 6, 2024

"Phoenix," a mysterious exoplanet retains its atmosphere despite harsh radiation from host star, challenging theories on planetary evolution

Earth-Sized Planet Orbiting the Most Common Star in the Galaxy Found Hanging Out in Our Cosmic Back Yard

Christopher Plain·May 22, 2024

Researchers operating a worldwide network of telescopes say they have spotted an Earth-sized planet hanging out in our cosmic backyard.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Has Made “a Landmark Discovery” in the Atmosphere of This Small Exoplanet

Micah Hanks·January 26, 2024

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has made "a landmark discovery" through observations of the atmosphere of a tiny distant exoplanet.

The James Webb Space Telescope Has Changed Our View of the Cosmos in 2023. Here Are Some of This Year’s Best Images and Greatest Discoveries.

Micah Hanks·December 27, 2023

Here are some of the key discoveries made in 2023 by the James Webb Space Telescope that are expanding our view of the cosmos.

The First and Only Exomoons Ever Discovered Orbiting Distant Planets May Be Something Else Entirely

Christopher Plain·December 8, 2023

Astronomers studying the first and only two exomoons ever discovered outside our solar system say deeper investigations now reveal they don't exist.

James Webb Space Telescope Has Discovered Something On a Nearby Exoplanet That Could “Reshape Our Understanding” of Planetary Evolution

MJ Banias·November 16, 2023

The James Webb Space Telescope, in a recent observation of exoplanet WASP-107b, has discovered some peculiar phenomena on the planet. 

Planetary Scientists Have Made a Scorching Discovery, With Help from a Retired Space Telescope

Micah Hanks·November 3, 2023

Scientists report the discovery of a system of scorching hot planets, revealed in new findings from data collected by NASA’s retired Kepler space telescope.

Alien “Super-Earth” Discovery Reveals Existence of Large Planet 120 Light Years Away

Micah Hanks·July 21, 2023

The discovery of a newfound alien “super-Earth” observed orbiting a distant red dwarf star has been reported by an international team of astronomers.

Does ChatGPT Really Want to Save Humanity, or is This a Trap?

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias and Stephanie Gerk·June 16, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe made its closest run...

Potentially Habitable Exoplanet Found in Our Cosmic Backyard

Christopher Plain·February 7, 2023

An earth-sized exoplanet that is orbiting within its star's habitable zone has been spotted a mere 31 light years away from Earth, offering astronomers and astrobiologists a tantalizingly close new target in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Rocky Exoplanet Nearly the Same Size as Earth Found in Star’s Habitable Zone

Christopher Plain·January 12, 2023

NASA and MIT researchers using the TESS telescope say they have spotted a nearly Earth-sized exoplanet hanging out in its star's habitable zone.

Planetary Scientists Used This New Model to Crack a Pair of Puzzling Astronomical Mysteries

Micah Hanks·January 3, 2023

A pair of puzzles that planetary scientists have observed amidst 3,800 different planetary systems may have been solved, with the aid of a new model that considers the influence of various forces on young planet formation.

Astronomers Just Discovered a Pair of New Potentially Habitable Planets

Christopher Plain·September 8, 2022

Scientists from the University of Birmingham say they have discovered a pair of potentially habitable planets outside of our solar system.

Possible Alien “Water World” Discovered 100 Light-Years From Earth

Tim McMillan·August 25, 2022

A team of scientists have announced the discovery of a possible alien water world that, in astronomical terms, is relatively close to Earth’s backyard. 

Exoplanet Specialist Sara Seager is Rebelliously Curious

Learn what steps researchers are currently taking to find life on another planet

Christopher Plain·April 29, 2022

The Debrief’s intrepid host Chrissy Newton talks to MIT astrophysicist, planetary scientist, and exoplanet specialist Sara Seager.

NASA Funds Next Phase of Exoplanet Hunting Starshade

Christopher Plain·March 17, 2022

NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program has granted new funding to develop a working orbital starshade.