Temperamental

Temperamental Stars are Messing With Our Exoplanet Efforts

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This extraordinarily detailed image of the Sun's surface comes from the Solar Orbiter during a recent close encounter. Swirling magnetic fields help create cooler and hotter regions on the surface. Image Credit: ESA - European Space Agency

We have the transit method to thank for the large majority of the exoplanets we’ve discovered. When an exoplanet transits its star, the dip in starlight tells astronomers that a planet is present. Analyzing the light can tell them about the planet’s size and atmospheric properties. However, a star’s surface isn’t always uniformly heated. There … Read more

Temperamental stars could be ruining our view of thousands of exoplanets, Hubble Telescope finds

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A new study has revealed that temperamental stars that brighten and dim over the course of just a few hours could be distorting astronomers’ views of thousands of planets beyond the solar system. The team behind this research reached this conclusion by studying 20 extrasolar planets or “exoplanets” as they crossed, or “transited,” the faces … Read more