Exoplanets Archives - The Debrief

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Exoplanet Trappist-1 B Could Have An Atmosphere, Challenging Past Conclusions

Potentially Habitable

Ryan Whalen·December 18, 2024

The Earth-like exoplanet Trappist-1 b may have an atmosphere after all, potentially overturning earlier findings.

Researchers Expand Search for Alien Intelligence with New Technosignatures Study of TRAPPIST-1 System

Tim McMillan·October 22, 2024

Astronomers scanned TRAPPIST-1 for alien signals, setting new detection limits in the most extensive single-target search for ETI to date.

New Study Reveals Surprising Potential for Life Around F-Type Stars, Expanding Hope For Habitable Exoplanets

Tim McMillan·October 4, 2024

New research suggests exoplanets orbiting F-Type stars are key star systems previously overlooked for their potential to support life.

Astronomers Reveal Presence of a Planet Orbiting Our Solar System’s Closest Single Star Just 6 Light Years Away

Christopher Plain·October 2, 2024

Astronomers using the ESO's VLT say they have spotted a planet orbiting our solar system's closest single star, a.k.a. Barnard's star.

James Webb Space Telescope Creates Three-Dimensional Map of Planet’s ‘Puffed-Up’ Atmosphere

Christopher Plain·September 25, 2024

Astronomers have created a three-dimensional map of WASP_107b's 'puffed-up' atmosphere using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA to Launch EXCITE Mission from Antarctica to Study Exoplanets from the Edge of Space

Christopher Plain·August 26, 2024

NASA is preparing to launch the EXCITE mission, which will travel to the edge of space to collect data on other worlds.

Planets Orbiting Burnt-Out Stars May Be Ideal Targets in the Search for Alien Life

Christopher Plain·June 17, 2024

Researchers studying the dynamics of white dwarfs say that these burnt-out stars are ideal places for astrobiologists to search for life.

MIT Astronomers Say They Have Discovered a Planet Current Theories Can’t Explain

Christopher Plain·May 17, 2024

Astronomers from MIT say they have discovered a distant planet so unusual that they cannot explain how it exists.

James Webb Space Telescope Finds ‘Best Evidence to Date’ for Rocky Exoplanet Atmosphere

Christopher Plain·May 9, 2024

NASA researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected the ‘best evidence to date’ for a rocky exoplanet atmosphere.

Purple Exoplanets Could Be Teeming with Alien Life

MJ Banias·April 17, 2024

Purple exoplanets could be teeming with life as purple bacteria may have an easier time surviving in harsh conditions.

“Disturbing” Light Asymmetry Spotted on Exoplanet WASP-76b May Finally Have an Explanation

Christopher Plain·April 9, 2024

Astronomers say they may have finally unraveled the mystery of a disturbing light asymmetry observed on exoplanet WASP-76b.

Earth Can Be Used as a Guinea Pig to Search for Extraterrestrial Life with This New Telescope, Astronomers Say

MJ Banias·February 27, 2024

Researchers have just published a study that could advance our ability to detect extraterrestrial life, and Earth served as the guinea pig.

NASA Just Tested a Crucial Technology That May Soon Help Its Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Detect Life on Distant Worlds

Micah Hanks·February 2, 2024

NASA says it has successfully administered multiple tests to a new instrument on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will allow unprecedented views of planets beyond our solar system.

The Road to Hell Chickens is Paved With Good ‘Egg-tentions.’

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·January 31, 2024

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, Kenna and Stephanie descend into the darkest depths...

Something is Orbiting These Distant Exoplanets After All, According to Researchers Who Fire Back Over Exomoon Controversy

MJ Banias·January 25, 2024

Have we discovered Exomoons? Recent news of moons orbiting planets outside our solar system has sparked debate in the astronomical community.

First Ever Earth-sized Planet Orbiting a Sun-Like Star Has Been Discovered Lurking in Our Solar Back Yard

Christopher Plain·January 15, 2024

Astronomers are reporting the first discovery of an Earth-sized planet orbiting a sun-like star, and its only 73 light years away.

Want to Visit an Exoplanet? Make Sure You Check Out This Travel Calculator

MJ Banias·January 12, 2024

The Exoplanet Travel Planner Calculator is your next essential tool for that trip to another planet. Kinda.

Astronomers May Have Figured Out How to Detect Liquid Water and Life on Exoplanets

MJ Banias·December 29, 2023

A novel technique to locate planets that could potentially harbor life uses an analysis of carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in their atmospheres.

Top Science and Technology Developments 2023

The Top 5 Science and Tech Topics That Make 2023 a Year to Remember

MJ Banias·December 26, 2023

A quick top 5 list of some of our favorite stories, scientific movements, and technological developments from 2023.

NASA Identifies 17 Potentially Habitable Earth-Sized Icy Worlds, Including Two Cosmic Nearby Neighbors

Christopher Plain·December 14, 2023

A team of NASA researchers says they have identified 17 potentially habitable icy worlds including two that are cosmically nearby, which may have subsurface oceans teeming with extraterrestrial life.

These Deep Space ‘Agents of Chaos’ Likely ‘Wreak Havoc’ on Alien Lifeforms

Christopher Plain·November 1, 2023

New simulations by California astrophysicists reveal that gas giant planets can act as 'agents of chaos' by wreaking havoc on the orbits of earthlike planets capable of supporting alien lifeforms.

Exoplanet Hunters Spot Something They’ve Never Seen Before While Observing Distant Alien Ice Giant

Christopher Plain·October 16, 2023

An international team of exoplanet hunters say they have spotted the first-ever recorded collision of two alien ice giant exoplanets.

Did NASA’s James Webb Telescope Just Make The Astonishing First Discovery of Alien Life on Exoplanet K2-18b?

Tim McMillan·September 15, 2023

Is there life beyond Earth? The James Webb Telescope has spotted tantalizing potential signs of alien life on exoplanet K2-18b.

Encountering Aliens: Exploring The Fascinating Speculative Science of Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Physiology and Technology

Tim McMillan·August 8, 2023

Whether one is inspired by recent UAP news, or advances in space exploration, many believe that extraterrestrial intelligence exists. How soon might we finally discover it?

“Essential for Life” Amino Acid Found in Interstellar Space, Increasing Chances Extraterrestrial Life is Common

Christopher Plain·June 21, 2023

A Spanish researcher who has previously discovered water, carbon dioxide and other key life-supporting chemicals in an interstellar region of space where planets and stars are born says she has now found the life-supporting amino acid tryptophan in the same place.

There May Be Hundreds of Millions of Habitable Planets in the Milky Way Galaxy, New Analysis Reveals

Christopher Plain·June 14, 2023

A new study examining the orbital eccentricity of exoplanets has determined that as many as 1 in 3 planets orbiting the billions of M-dwarf stars in the Miky Way galaxy may be habitable.

James Webb Space Telescope Directly Measures Light from Sub-Neptune Exoplanet for the First Time

Christopher Plain·May 11, 2023

For the first time ever, researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have successfully measured the light coming from a sub-Neptune-sized exoplanet that orbits a star only 40 light years away.

Extrasolar Space Dust Could Contain Signs of Alien Life, New Paper Suggests

Christopher Plain·March 28, 2023

A new paper from the University of Tokyo suggests that astrobiologists could find signs of alien life in particles of space dust that have been ejected from exoplanets and traveled across the vastness of space to reach earth.

The Case For Alien Life Elevated By The Exciting First-Ever Confirmation of Two Exoplanet Water Worlds

Christopher Plain·December 16, 2022

Researchers from the University of Montreal have confirmed the presence of two water worlds orbiting a star 218 light years from earth.

New data from the Gaia Space Telescope sheds more light on asteroid formation.

New Data from the Gaia Space Telescope is Helping Reveal the Secret Lives of Asteroids

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·June 27, 2022

The latest batch of data released from the Gaia Space Telescope is shedding new light on asteroid formation and distant galaxies.

NASA’s Roman Telescope to Directly Image Exoplanets

Program Will Narrow Gap to Directly Imaging Earthlike Exoplanets

Christopher Plain·March 22, 2022

NASA is currently building the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope in hopes of directly imaging smaller and fainter exoplanets.

Are Super-Earths Actually the Best Places to Search for ET?

Christopher Plain·January 17, 2022

Super-Earths may be the best place to search for extraterrestrial life due to their long-lived magnetic shields, according...

Astronomers Spot Second Ever Exomoon Candidate

Discovery May Mean Exomoons are Common, Increasing the Odds of Extraterrestrial Life.

Christopher Plain·January 13, 2022

Astronomers studying a huge, Jupiter-like exoplanet say they have successfully detected a moon in its orbit. Although this...

70 New Rogue Exoplanets Spotted by Astronomers

Christopher Plain·December 23, 2021

70 rogue exoplanets, or planets not bound to a host star, have been discovered wandering through the Milky...

The Debrief Weekly News Roundup with Crisitna Gomez

Saturday December 11th, 2021 Edition

Christopher Plain·December 13, 2021

In the latest edition of The Debrief’s Weekly News Roundup, our own Cristina Gomez takes a look a four...

Tidally Locked Exoplanets May Harbor Life After All

Christopher Plain·December 7, 2021

According to a new proposal, a phenomenon known as super-rotation may mean that tidally locked exoplanets, or planets...

TRAPPIST-1 Exoplnets’ Orbital Harmony May Aid Habitability

Christopher Plain·November 30, 2021

The orbital harmony of the seven exoplanets spotted in the TRAPPIST-1 star system may indicate that they endured...

Tatooine exoplanet orbiting two suns, Tatooine-style planet

Astronomers Develop Technique to Spot Exoplanets Orbiting Two Suns

Christopher Plain·November 11, 2021

A team of astronomers has developed a new technique designed to quickly and accurately identify exoplanets orbiting two...

Earth 2.0: Scientists Seek a Better Method for Finding Habitable Exoplanets

Christopher Plain·May 10, 2021

Scientists are looking for a "cosmic twin" in the search for potentially habitable exoplanets that could mirror Earth in a variety of different ways.

We Should Use Quantum Communication To Talk to ET, Says SETI Researcher

Christopher Plain·May 4, 2021

A researcher from the University of Berkeley's SETI program has proposed we scan for signs of ET using quantum communications methods.

Alien Artifacts on Earth and in Our Solar System is Possible, NASA Reports

Tim McMillan·April 21, 2021

A 2018 report published by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows the lengths America’s premier...

Five New, Potentially Habitable Zones Within Tatooine-Like Binary Star Systems

Christopher Plain·April 20, 2021

New research says binary star systems may be home to habitable, Earth-like planets, and that changes how we hunt for life in the cosmos.

Scientists Now Understand the Origin of Water, Including on Alien Worlds.

Christopher Plain·April 16, 2021

Researchers just released a paper explaining the origin of water in our solar system and on distant alien worlds.

Can a Planet Regrow an Atmosphere? The Secrets of Exoplanet GJ 1132 b

Chrissy Newton·April 3, 2021

Chrissy Newton explores exoplanet GJ 1132 b to see if a planet can regrow its atmosphere. Researchers have...

The Fermi Paradox: Where Are All The Aliens?

Christopher Plain·January 29, 2021

The Fermi Paradox asks "where is everybody?" Or, in more modern parlance, "where are all the freakin' aliens?"

Methane May Be The Best Way to Find Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·January 26, 2021

It is likely that Methane gas, and not Oxygen, will represent the first chemical sign of life on another planet, according to new study.

Oumuamua ‘Alien probe’ may be the way to search for life, according to Harvard astrophysicist

Essay argues interstellar objects may be ‘message in a bottle.’

Mike Damante and The Debrief Staff·January 25, 2021

Avi Loeb's recent essay challenges scientists to expand their search for extraterrestrial life beyond signals to also look for alien probes.

The James Webb Telescope Will Change the Way We See The Cosmos

Christopher Plain·January 25, 2021

The James Webb Telescope is scheduled for launch in October 2021. It will give us the ability to see the cosmos like we never have before.

Farewell 2020: Five Cosmic Stories We Didn’t Cover But Wish We Had

Did You Catch These Stories in 2020?

Ryan Sprague·December 31, 2020

As we say "farewell to 2020," and welcome 2021 with open arms, here are five cool space stories we missed and wish we hadn't.