SUNSET: 
Hot and Cold: Jupiters Reveal Formation and Chemistry of Exotic Worlds
At the extremes: A hot Jupiter reveals extreme chemistry on a sizzling world, and a cold Jupiter sheds light on giant planet formation.
“Lucky” Images Reveal Dusty Debris Around a Star 330 Light-years Away
The transit of a large cloud of protoplanetary rubble across the face of a young star gave the Spitzer Space Telescope our best view yet of planetary evolution in action.
First Look at an Unusual Exoplanet’s Atmosphere
AAS Nova reports on a "super-puff" exoplanet that's nearly 15 times less dense than Jupiter.
Largest Molecule Yet Found in Planet-forming Disk
The detection of a complex organic molecule in the disk around an infant star suggests prebiotic chemistry starts in the space between stars.
New Planet Discovered Around Proxima Centauri, Star Nearest the Sun
A new instrument on a powerful telescope has enabled astronomers to discover another planet around our nearest stellar neighbor.
Astronomers Watch the Making of a Super-Earth
Gaseous mini-Neptunes may become rocky super-Earths when they lose their atmospheres. Now, astronomers have caught that process in action.
Exoplanet Hunter Racks up 5,000 “Objects of Interest”
Since its 2018 launch, the unassuming TESS satellite has found 175 confirmed exoplanets (so far) among 5,000 “objects of interest.”
Needle in the Haystack: New Exomoon Candidate Found
Astronomers may have found a second Neptune-size exomoon hidden in the retired Kepler space telescope’s data.
Astronomy in Pictures: Largest 3D Map of Our Universe and a Stellar Intruder
This week astronomers have announced the completion of the largest 3D map of galaxies across the cosmos, plus exquisite radio observations show what happens when a stellar intruder interrupts planet formation.
Giant Planet Imaged Around Massive Stars
Astronomers have imaged a giant planet around a massive pair of stars, a discovery that challenges our notions of how planets form.
Did We Find a Planet in Another Galaxy?
Astronomers using an innovative method have detected the signal of what could be an extragalactic exoplanet. But confirming its existence will be difficult.
Astronomy in Pictures: Black Holes, Baby Stars, and Magnetic "Tunnels"
Astronomers witness the unfurling of a black hole-powered mushroom cloud, a baby super-Jupiter, and a magnetic "tunnel" around the solar system.
Infant “Hot Neptune” Provides Clues to Its Birth
How’d a nice young ice giant end up in such a hot orbit? Scientists investigate the mysterious exoplanet AU Microscopii b.
Red Dwarfs Aren’t So Bad (For Planets) After All
Red dwarf stars appear to flare preferentially at high latitudes, which might keep their exoplanets habitable instead of hellish.
A Pileup of Perpendicular Planets
In some planetary systems, the direction that a star spins and the direction its planets orbit don’t always line up. A new study explores what we can learn from these nonconformists.
Astronomers Detect Potential Moon-forming Disk around an Exoplanet
Astronomers have made the first clear detection of a dusty disk surrounding an exoplanet, which could eventually go on to form moons.
Gravitationally Unstable Disk May Collapse to Form Planets
Astronomers investigate the spiral arms of a young star's disk and find evidence of a disk so massive that it could collapse to form planets.
NASA’s Kepler Finds Outcast Earths
Astronomers uncovered four new Earth-mass rogue planet candidates by searching for microlensing events observed with Kepler.
Astronomers Challenge Claim of Planet Around Barnard's Star
Astronomers thought a super-Earth might orbit nearby Barnard's star. But a new study disputes that claim, arguing that stellar activity might be masquerading as the planetary signal.
Proxima Centauri Releases Powerful Flare
The Sun dwarfs its nearest stellar neighbor, but Proxima Centauri's flares pack a comparatively energetic punch.
