The official number of exoplanets—planets outside our solar system—tracked by NASA has reached 6,000. Confirmed planets are added to the count on a rolling basis by scientists from around the world, ...

The long-standing idea of planets forming in perfectly flat, orderly discs has been challenged by new research. Instead of calm, pancake-shaped structures of dust and gas, astronomers have now ...

Dr Ryan MacDonald, lecturer in extrasolar planets in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews, ...

The classical picture of star and planet formation suggests that a star’s rotational axis and the orbital planes of its planets should be aligned. However, exoplanetary systems have considerable ...

Mathematicians calculated where the planet might be based on its effects on Uranus, and astronomers searched for less than an ...

Can planets be different shapes? This video explores the fascinating world of planetary shapes, discussing how gravitational forces and other factors influence their forms. Discover the scientific ...

Space is a very big place, and as such, it's full of mysteries that scientists can't explain. Some of this is simply because it's impossible to fully observe, thanks to its sheer size and the ...

Is there a massive undiscovered planet on the outer reaches of the solar system? The idea has been around since before the discovery of Pluto in the 1930s. Labeled as planet X, prominent astronomers ...

Astronomers have discovered the raw ingredients of planets orbiting two infant stars, offering a glimpse into how new worlds ...