Searching for solar systems like our own
Josh Winn’s hunt for exoplanets may someday reveal habitable, Earth-like worlds.
A burst of activity in the middle of the Milky Way
Researchers detect the brightest flare ever observed in our galaxy’s black hole.
A far-off solar system
Researchers measure the orientation of a multiplanet system and find it very similar to our own solar system.
Newfound exoplanet may turn to dust
A planet’s dust cloud may explain strange patterns of light from its star.
Explained: Transiting exoplanets
How astronomers learn whether a planet is habitable by observing slight changes in light emanating from its parent star.
Learning from hot Jupiters
By studying how massive planets may have formed, MIT astrophysicist sets the stage for studying smaller, more Earthlike planets.
Building a list of Earth candidates
MIT researchers increase their odds of detecting an Earthlike planet by working on a combination of satellite missions.
Robert J. Butler, former design research engineer at MIT, dies at 89
An MIT engineer for 25 years, he helped design instruments for NASA’s Voyager spacecraft.
Explained: the Doppler effect
The same phenomenon behind changes in the pitch of a moving ambulance’s siren is helping astronomers locate and study distant planets.