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© 2026 Developments Today. All rights reserved.

An artist's concept of a generic starshade. Credit: Public Domain

NASA-backed starshade concept aims to make rocky exoplanets visible from Earth

NASA-backed HOEE would pair an orbital starshade with giant ground telescopes.
The design aims to block starlight before it reaches the atmosphere, enabling direct imaging of nearby rocky worlds.
The concept targets planetary systems within about 20 light-years and is seeking further NIAC support.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Aug 25, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Given time and the right kind of commitment, could the dream of interstellar travel become a reality? Credit:

Why Interstellar Travel Still Points Back to Nuclear Propulsion

A new overview revisits why interstellar travel remains constrained by physics and energy demands.
Nearby exoplanet discoveries make the destination list clearer, but not the journey easier.
Nuclear propulsion remains one of the most serious frameworks for discussing long-range star missions.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Aug 2, 2026·via universetoday.com

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This artist's concept shows what the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may look like, based on available data about the planets' diameters, masses and distances from the host star, as of February 2018.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Astrobiology is turning exoplanets into a mirror for Earth

Astrobiologists are using exoplanets as comparative models for Earth’s evolution.
Researchers emphasized that habitable-zone planets are not necessarily habitable worlds.
Scarce James Webb time has made Trappist-1 a priority target for atmospheric study.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 29, 2026·via universetoday.com

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An artist's representation of two scenarios for a sub-Neptune planet's atmosphere-interior interface. Credit: Hailey Nelson/ASU

JWST study links sub-Neptune clouds to deep planetary interiors

Researchers used JWST data and modeling to study sub-Neptune atmospheres.
Deep clouds of vaporized rocks and salts may trap heat in lower atmospheric layers.
The effect could change how astronomers infer sub-Neptune interior composition.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 27, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Visualization of the Habitable World's Observatory (HWO). Credit: NASA SVS/Jonathan North

Photonics Push Could Sharpen the Search for Habitable Worlds

Researchers are developing photonics systems to improve direct imaging of exoplanets.
The work supports NASA’s planned Habitable Worlds Observatory in the 2040s.
Suppressing leaked starlight is crucial for detecting and characterizing rocky planets.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 26, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Artist's illustration of the sub-Neptune exoplanet, TOI-270 d. (Credit: NASA)

JWST study suggests mini-Neptunes may hide deep water

Researchers modeled TOI-270 d and found water may separate from hydrogen instead of remaining well mixed.
The study suggests JWST atmospheric observations could miss deeper water reservoirs on some sub-Neptunes.
The finding challenges simpler assumptions about the internal structure of one of the galaxy’s most common planet classes.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 26, 2026·via universetoday.com

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This illustration shows the system around the star CD-35 2722, with the newly found moon-like object at the center. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser

First confirmed exo-satellite blurs the line between planet and moon

Astronomers confirmed the first known exo-satellite in the CD-35 2722 system.
The moon-like object is roughly Jupiter-sized and orbits a brown dwarf.
The discovery complicates standard definitions of stars, planets, and moons.
Similar systems could become important targets in future exoplanet studies.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 23, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Jupiter-mass 'exomoon' orbiting brown dwarf challenges cosmic labels

Jupiter-Mass Exomoon Candidate Blurs Line Between Planet and Moon

ESO observations found evidence for a Jupiter-mass companion orbiting a brown dwarf in the CD-35 2722 system.
If confirmed, the object could be the first moon discovered outside the solar system.
Its size and orbital setup complicate the usual distinction between planets and moons.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 22, 2026·via phys.org

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Artist’s illustration of exoplanets orbiting Barnard’s Star. Credit: [International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld](https://www.gemini.edu/gallery/images/noirlab2510a/)

Barnard’s Star’s planets look even less hospitable than expected

Researchers linked Barnard’s Star’s chemistry to likely magnesium-rich planets.
The inferred abundance of periclase suggests poor long-term water storage.
Very tight orbits and long radiation exposure likely stripped away atmospheres.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 21, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Artist's impression of the planet LHS 1140 b and its host star (Credit : ESO/spaceengine.org)

Atmosphere detected on rocky habitable-zone exoplanet

Astronomers reported evidence of an atmosphere around rocky exoplanet LHS 1140 b.
The planet orbits within its star’s habitable zone about 48 light-years away.
Researchers detected helium escaping from the planet using the WINERED spectrograph on the Magellan Telescope.
The result could help identify which habitable-zone rocky planets are worth deeper study.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 20, 2026·via universetoday.com

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An illustration of a planet with a glowing sun in the distance

Astronomers find strongest evidence yet of an atmosphere on a rocky habitable-zone world

Astronomers detected helium escaping from LHS 1140 b.
The signal is the strongest evidence yet of an atmosphere on a rocky habitable-zone exoplanet.
The result could sharpen future searches for potentially habitable worlds.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 19, 2026·via livescience.com

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Artist's impression of the SKA. Credit - SKA Project Development Office and Swinburne Astronomy Productions

Square Kilometre Array Poised to Revolutionize Search for Alien Life

SKA can detect leakage radiation from alien civilizations, not just deliberate signals.
One hour of SKA observation could detect a mobile network signal from 4 light-years away.
SETI researchers will piggyback on existing SKA surveys to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Data processing is a key challenge due to the enormous data volume.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 6, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Diagram depicting the proposed magma ocean interior model for Uranus and Neptune. (Credit: Young et al. (2026))

Study suggests Uranus and Neptune may be magma worlds

A newly submitted study models Uranus and Neptune as having deep magma oceans rather than icy mantles.
The proposal aims to explain puzzling aspects of the planets’ magnetic fields and heat distribution.
The model could also affect how scientists interpret common sub-Neptune exoplanets.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 26, 2026·via universetoday.com

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The path of a planet as it spirals into its star. The result is that the event tears the planet apart and sucks its elements into the star. Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)

Astronomers report evidence a star consumed one of its planets

Researchers say unusual lithium levels in TOI-5882 suggest the star absorbed a planet.
A brown dwarf companion in the system may have destabilized the planet's orbit and sent it inward.
The finding highlights how astronomers use stellar spectra to reconstruct violent events in planetary systems.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 25, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Artist's illustration of 55 Cnc e. (Credit: NASA)

JWST suggests 55 Cancri e has a hydrogen-rich, changing atmosphere

JWST observed five eclipses of 55 Cancri e, a super-Earth 41 light-years away.
Researchers say the planet likely has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere with large amounts of carbon monoxide.
Variation across the observations could point to active outgassing and temporary cloud formation.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 17, 2026·via universetoday.com

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NASA’s Webb Catches Exoplanet Getting Roasted

Webb tracks a giant exoplanet as it heats up in real time

NASA says Webb observed HD 80606 b heating dramatically during a close pass by its star.
The exoplanet’s temperature rises by about 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Researchers are using the system to study fast atmospheric changes on a hot Jupiter.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 17, 2026·via science.nasa.gov

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Illustration of exoplanets whose atmospheres could produce soot due to high temperatures, specific atmospheric ratios, and metallic content. (Credit: Louise Lerner)

JWST may be able to spot soot-rich skies on hot sub-Neptunes

Researchers modeled soot-related PAH production in sub-Neptune atmospheres.
PAH abundance peaked around 600 Kelvin in the simulations.
The work suggests JWST could detect these compounds in some exoplanet atmospheres.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 14, 2026·via universetoday.com

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The Roman observatory in a clean room

Roman Space Telescope heads to Kennedy for launch processing

Roman is traveling from Goddard to Kennedy aboard NASA’s Pegasus barge.
The observatory will move into launch processing at Kennedy.
NASA says Roman will study dark energy and directly image planets around nearby stars as a technology demonstration.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 2, 2026·via nasa.gov

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Artistic rendering of a gas giant exoplanet. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

JWST detects methane in atmosphere of temperate gas giant

JWST observed TOI-199b during a transit using transmission spectroscopy.
Astronomers identified methane in the planet’s atmosphere.
The finding matches long-standing models for temperate gas giant chemistry.
Carbon dioxide and ammonia are cited as candidate molecules for future study.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 1, 2026·via universetoday.com

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An artist's concept of the LHS 3844 b, a rocky super-Earth 1.3 times the mass of Earth. It orbits an M dwarf star and appears to have no atmosphere. Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

JWST Finds a Dark, Airless Super-Earth and Reads Its Surface Directly

JWST detected light directly from the surface of LHS 3844 b.
Researchers found the planet is barren and lacks an atmosphere.
The infrared spectrum is consistent with mantle or lava rock, not Earth-like crust.

DE

DT Editorial Team·May 29, 2026·via universetoday.com

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