Ecology to Astrobiology: Modeling the Habitability of Other Worlds
The field of ecology already has standardized models for determining a region’s habitability. How can astrobiologists use these models to determine habitability beyond Earth?
In-“creasing” Exomoon Candidates Through Folding
Lightcurve folding is frequently used to make signals in the data clearer. Today’s author describes a novel way to use the folding method to pick out exomoon signals from exoplanet transit lightcurves.
A Star Askew: A Potential Cause of the Misalignment of a Star and Its Planets
When the rotation of a star is misaligned from the orbits of its planets, astronomers often attribute the misalignment to planetary dynamics. In the case of K2-290 A, today’s authors instead attribute its misalignment to its stellar companion.
Mind the Gap! Investigating a Potential Cause of the Exoplanet Radius Valley
There is a low occurrence rate of exoplanets between 1.5 and 2.0 Earth radii. Today’s authors explore the density of the stellar field the planet resides in as a potential contributor to this gap.
Don’t change the station! Substellar objects are up next!
Today’s authors make the first direct observation of a brown dwarf, a substellar object that can be considered a failed star.