Exoplanet Radio

Tucked inside a quiet solar system, in the area of sky outlined by the constellation Aquarius, orbits a planet named TRAPPIST-1d, the third of seven planets in a system positioned 41 light years from our vantage point. TRAPPIST-1d is a rocky, Earth-like planet, meaning that it is roughly the same size and mass as our home. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/exoplanets/trappist1d-wo...

So far, we have discovered over 5000 exoplanets, using transit, radial velocity and microlensing methods. But there is another way to find exoplanets that has only recently been possible: by directly seeing them with our eyes. This is unimaginatively called the direct imaging method, and has revealed some amazing results. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/science/direct-imaging-ex...

Imagine a planet that is so far away from us that it takes 40 years for its light to reach us. Now imagine that this planet has not one, but two stars that it orbits around. And finally, imagine that this planet has clouds made of sand particles that change the brightness of its atmosphere wildly as they move in the air. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/exoplanets/jwst-observes-n...

In our galaxy, there are many planets that wander alone in the dark, without a star to orbit. These rogue planets could have formed from the same material that makes stars, or they could have been kicked out of their original star systems by gravitational interactions. Some of these rogue planets could have moons which remain in tow, and these moons could be more than just cold and barren rocks. S...

Many people feel that it’s very important for humanity’s long term survival that we become a multiplanet species. Traveling to and possibly even inhabiting other planets in our solar system is not only possible with our current levels of technology, but compared to going to the stars, it’s downright easy. But what about traveling to exoplanets? Can we reach the stars? Show Notes Available at https...

A massive, Jupiter-sized exoplanet has been discovered orbiting a small, low-mass star and this discovery is challenging theories on how planets form around their stars. The planet, called TOI-4860 b, is about the same size as Jupiter and orbits its star once every 1.5 Earth days, classifying it as a warm Jupiter. This is unusual because planets this large are not supposed to form around low-mass...

Our galaxy likely holds hundreds of billions of planets around other stars but when and how did we begin finding them? What was the first exoplanet detected? It turns out that the first discovery wasn’t one, but two planets in the same system. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/discoveries/the-first-exoplanets/.

Finding exoplanets is not an easy endeavor, but it is nonetheless very important. Finding planets around other stars is vital for humanity to understand its place in the cosmos. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/science/finding-exoplanets/.

WASP-39 b is a hot and puffy planet with a mass roughly one-quarter that of Jupiter and a diameter 1.3 times greater than Jupiter Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/exoplanets/wasp39b-hot-jupiter/.

Aside from our own solar system, one of the most studied stellar systems lies about 40 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Aquarius. Using ground and space based telescopes like Spitzer, Kepler, Hubble, and, now, the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers are looking hard at the seven rocky exoplanets orbiting the TRAPPIST-1 star. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio....

Astronomers have found evidence of a possible planet outside of our Milky Way galaxy. If confirmed, this is the first time that a planet has been detected in another galaxy. It is located in the spiral galaxy Messier 51, also called the Whirlpool Galaxy Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/discoveries/exoplanet-detected-another-galaxy/.

The Webb Space Telescope observed this planet as it passed between the telescope and the host star, LHS 475. By watching the spectra of that star over two orbits, astronomers were able to measure the diameter of LHS 475b and get an idea of its density. This is the first exoplanet confirmed by the James Webb space telescope. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/discoveries/the-first-e...

Astronomers have found a planet around a red giant star that should have been destroyed, yet it still exists, leaving astronomers to wonder why the planet is still there. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/exoplanets/an-exoplanet-that-shouldnt-exist/.

Proxima Centauri-b is only 4.5 light years away and may be a good candidate for life. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/exoplanets/Proxima-Centauri-b/.

Astronomers estimate there are more planets in our galaxy than there are stars. Just how many is that? Are we likely to travel to them? Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/science/how-many-exoplanets/.

JWST has turned its Instruments of the fascinating TRAPPIST-1 system and made its first set of observations by measuring the surface temperature of TRAPPIST-1b Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/discoveries/jwst-measures-trappist-1b-temp/.

We have only known there are planets around other stars for about 25 years. Now we know they are everywhere. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/science/exoplanets-are-everywhere/.

Kepler-22b was the first exoplanet confirmed by the Kepler Space Telescope. It may also harbor life Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/exoplanets/kepler-22b/.

Amazingly, astronomers have found planets in space that do not have a host star. Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/discoveries/not-all-stars-have-exoplanets/.

Welcome to the first episode of Exoplanet Radio! Let's get started by defining what an exoplanet is. What types are there? Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/science/what-is-an-exoplanet/.

Your Daily Dose of Exoplanet Wonder! Show Notes Available at https://exoplanetradio.com/exoplanets/welcome-to-exoplanet-radio/.