Posts by 

Paul Scott Anderson

Goodbye Vulcan: Real-life Star Trek exoplanet doesn’t exist

Astronomers thought there might be a real-life version of the famous Star Trek exoplanet Vulcan orbiting the star 40 Eridani A. But a new study says no.

Phoenix exoplanet’s puffy atmosphere survives red giant star

Astronomers have discovered a Neptune-sized world orbiting close to a red giant star. And surprisingly, the exoplanet's puffy atmosphere is still intact.

Asteroid’s double moon points to a complex history

A new study of asteroid Dinkinesh and its moon Selam, based on data from the Lucy mission, shows a complex history of Dinkinesh and the asteroid's double moon.

New exoplanet catalog unveils 126 exotic worlds

A new NASA exoplanet catalog unveils 126 newly discovered worlds ranging from scorched wastelands to ones that may be able to support life.

Pluto’s ocean is super salty, scientists say

A new analysis of data from NASA's New Horizons mission shows Pluto's ocean is just a little denser than seawater on Earth. You could easily float in it.

Gliese 12 b, an intriguing Earth- or Venus-sized world

Gliese 12 b might have Earth-like temperatures or be more like a hot Venus. It orbits a red dwarf star, only 40 light-years away.

Webb solves mystery of puffy exoplanet WASP-107 b

Why does the puffy exoplanet WASP-107 b have a density similar to a marshmallow? New findings from Webb show it is hot on the inside due to tidal heating.

Earth-sized exoplanet discovered around ultracool dwarf star

Astronomers have discovered a new Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting the ultracool dwarf star SPECULOOS-3. But any atmosphere it had is probably long gone.

Juno images of Europa reveal a complex, active surface

NASA has released some images of Europa, the ocean moon of Jupiter. They provide new clues about the moon's ice shell and other intriguing surface features.

Astronomers find 60 Dyson sphere candidates, among millions of searched stars

Two teams of astronomers in Europe say they have found 60 Dyson sphere candidates. Are they alien megastructures or a previously unknown natural phenomenon?