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.
Astronomers detect first carbon-rich exoplanet
Discovery opens door to new class of exoplanets, including rocky planets rich in diamond and graphite.
Growing Earth’s oceans
Study suggests that trace amounts of water created oceans on Earth and other terrestrial planets, including those outside the solar system.
3 Questions: Sara Seager on the discovery of a ‘new’ form of life
The MIT planetary scientist discusses what the finding means for life on Earth and elsewhere in the universe.
Lending a hand
MIT researchers may be closer to understanding why spacesuit gloves hurt astronauts’ hands.
Telling time on the moon
New map of lunar craters sheds light on early solar-system activity and points to oldest parts of the moon’s surface.
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.
Personal cushion of air
Inspired by seeds, proposed air-bag system would surround astronauts and protect them during bumpy landings
A hop, skip and a jump on the moon — and beyond
Team envisions robotic spacecraft that can explore hard-to-reach areas on the moon and other planetary bodies by hopping.
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.
3 Questions: Richard Binzel on astronomers’ powerful new tool
Pan-STARRS, a telescope designed to reveal the ‘unexpected surprises’ in our solar system, including possible threats to Earth, just became fully operational.
The aerosols conundrum
Research shows that aerosols not only cool, but also heat the planet — a finding that may cloud the validity of climate-change models.
In a first, astronomers detect strong winds on an exoplanet
Researchers see tempestuous atmosphere on a planet located 150 light years from Earth.