by David Wilson | Jun 9, 2015 | Daily Paper Summaries
Among the many ideas proposed to explain the formation of our Solar system, one of the leading theories is the “Grand Tack”. This scenario suggests that, early in their formation, Jupiter and Saturn undertook a sweeping voyage, migrating from the outer Solar System to within the orbit of Mars. The two huge planets then entered an orbital resonance with each other, before their cosmic dance took them back out to their current positions. The model neatly explains, amongst other things, the current locations of Mars, the Asteroid Belt and the outer planets—which are hard to recreate in models assuming a more static Solar System.
by Lauren Weiss | Jun 19, 2013 | Daily Paper Summaries
One of the major questions among astronomers who study planets around other stars is, “What kinds of atmospheres do exoplanets have?” This question is extremely challenging to answer empirically: not only are most exoplanets too faint and close to their stars for us to see directly (see this post for an exception), but their atmospheres (especially on small, potentially rocky planets) are only a tiny fraction of the planet’s total composition.
by Jessica Roberts | Mar 20, 2018 | Daily Paper Summaries
Multiple exoplanets appear to have a cloud or haze layer in their atmosphere, though the production rate of this haze remains unknown. Today, we discuss a new approach to answering this question: creating exoplanetary haze in the lab.
by Vatsal Panwar | May 23, 2018 | Daily Paper Summaries
Scrutinizing a popular method of characterizing exoplanet atmospheres reveals an inherent degeneracy that may only be overcome in special cases.
by Clarissa Do O | Sep 27, 2023 | Daily Paper Summaries
Today’s post tells you how planets can lose their atmospheres due to a star’s radiation – and what this means for exoplanets we have already found!
