Exoplanets
Our Work
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian scientists discover and study exoplanets in many ways:
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Finding new exoplanets around a wide variety of stars using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and other observatories. TESS in particular observes stars that are brighter and closer to the Solar System than previous observatories have done, which will make follow-up studies of atmospheres easier to do. The result will be a better sample of all the types of planetary systems in the Milky Way.
NASA's Mission to Search the Sky for New Worlds -
Using “microlensing”, the effect of gravity from an exoplanet host star to magnify the light from a more distant star when they line up in the sky. This fortuitous alignment lets astronomers see exoplanets that are otherwise difficult to spot, including those in distant star systems.
‘Iceball’ Planet Discovered through Microlensing -
Developing sophisticated theoretical models to describe the variety of exoplanetary systems observed so far. That not only helps us understand how those systems formed and evolved, but also how our Solar System fits into the general population.
More Clues That Earth-Like Exoplanets Are Indeed Earth-Like -
Using robotic observatories, including the MEarth Project and the MINiature Exoplanet Radial Velocity Array (MINERVA), to look for planets in the habitable zones of their stars. The “M” in MEarth says the observatory is designed to find planets orbiting the small red stars called “M dwarfs”. MINERVA, meanwhile, also looks for potentially habitable super-Earths orbiting Sun-like stars.
MINERVA: Hunting for Earth's Twin -
Designing new observatories and instruments to study exoplanet atmospheres, such as the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). Detectors like the GMT Consortium Large Earth Finder (G-CLEF) are some of the most powerful designed particularly for the purpose of looking for the spectral signature of molecules in distant planetary atmospheres.
Potentially Habitable Super-Earth is a Prime Target for Atmospheric Study -
Measuring the masses of planets using instruments like the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher for the Northern Hemisphere (HARPS-N). This work allows astronomers to understand various exoplanet characteristics, such as whether a planet is gaseous or rocky.
HARPS-N Instrument Will Help Confirm Kepler's Planet Finds
A wealth of planets … and another Earth?
Astronomers first discovered exoplanets orbiting neutron stars in 1992, followed by the first exoplanets in orbit around ordinary stars in 1995. Those first worlds were much larger than Jupiter, and detected by the way their gravity tugged back on their host stars.
Most exoplanets found since then were discovered by the tiny amount of light they block when they pass between Earth and their host stars. This miniature eclipse is called a “transit”. The duration of the transit and how much light gets blocked tells astronomers the size of the exoplanet and how long it takes to orbit its host star.
Since large planets orbiting close to their stars block more light, most exoplanets we know of are larger than Earth. In fact, the most common exoplanet types identified so far are super-Earths, which are probably rocky planets larger in size than Earth, and mini-Neptunes, worlds slightly smaller than Uranus and Neptune.
Since transits allow us to measure the size of exoplanets but not their mass, researchers have to rely on other methods to determine how massive they are, which in turn tells us if they’re rocky or made of compressed gas. These methods involve measuring gravitational effects, so they are biased toward very massive exoplanets. Some next-generation instruments — such as the GMT-Consortium Large Earth Finder (G-CLEF) for the Giant Magellan Telescope — are designed in part to do this kind of observation, but in the meantime we only have mass information for some of the exoplanets. Based on theoretical models, astronomers think super-Earths are rocky, while mini-Neptunes are made of compressed gases. These types of planets don’t occur in our Solar System, leading researchers to question how they might be different from worlds we know.
Additionally, many exoplanet systems are tightly packed, with one or more planets orbiting their star much closer than Mercury orbits the Sun. Astronomers are investigating models for planet formation and evolution that would explain both why these systems are common in the galaxy, and why our Solar System doesn’t look like that.
Astronomers have found many exoplanets in their stars’ habitable zones: the range of orbits where liquid water could exist on the planet’s surface, with the proper kind of atmosphere. So far, these discovered worlds are either much larger than Earth or the star is much smaller and redder than our Sun. To find Earth-like worlds orbiting in the habitable zone of Sun-like stars requires long periods of observation, which allows for observing multiple orbits. Even then, these effects are small: the amount of light blocked by a small planet during a transit is even smaller for larger orbits.
Current and upcoming observatories are designed to find even more exoplanets with greater sensitivity. That will let us see more Earth-sized and smaller worlds, along with a larger number of planets orbiting farther from their stars. With this data, we’ll have a better idea of where the Solar System fits into the catalog of all planetary systems, and understand how common worlds like ours might be.
Artist's impression of the exoplanet LHS 1140b, which orbits its star within the "habitable zone" where liquid water might exist on the surface. The LHS 1140 system is only about 40 light-years from Earth, making it a possible target for studying the atmosphere of the planet if it has one.
Breath From Distant Worlds
The sizes and orbits of planets are only part of the picture, which includes their composition. The chemistry both of exoplanets and of their atmospheres is essential for understanding their history, evolution, and — potentially — if they could support life.
So far, no observatory can study the surfaces of exoplanets, but astronomers have begun to study their atmospheres. The way to do this is challenging: when an exoplanet transits its host star, a tiny amount of the light passes through the atmosphere. By analyzing what colors of light are absorbed or emitted by atmospheric gases, astronomers can identify certain molecules like water, oxygen, or methane. It’s a tiny effect on top of an already tiny signal, like trying to see through and study the antenna of a moth flying in front of a spotlight.
The next generation of observatories, including the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), will be sensitive enough to pick up more atmospheric traces, letting researchers characterize the composition of many more exoplanets. In particular, telescopes will look for oxygen and other molecules that exist in Earth’s atmosphere because of life. These chemicals, called “biosignatures”, don’t prove life exists on other planets, but they would be strong pieces of evidence in favor of alien life.
Baby Worlds
The planets in our Solar System are about 4.5 billion years old, which means we only have traces of evidence for what they were like when they first formed. To understand how our Solar System formed, astronomers look for newborn star systems, including baby planets.
Researchers locate these infants by finding gaps in the protoplanetary disks of matter around stars where the planets are born. The masses, orbits, and chemical compositions of new planets reveal how they develop and ultimately produce the exoplanet systems we observe around the galaxy.