Planets
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It Rains Iron on WASP-76b, a Planet Where Metal Vapor Falls From the Sky
On the ultra-hot giant planet WASP-76b, iron vaporized on the dayside appears to condense on the cooler nightside. The evidence is the missing iron signal on the morning edge, seen with ESPRESSO.
How Many Planets Have Been Found Beyond the Solar System?
More than 6,000 planets beyond the solar system are confirmed. The NASA Exoplanet Archive listed 6,445 on 8 October 2026, and the total keeps growing. Most were found by the transit method.
Webb Spectra Reveal a Third Giant Planet, Beta Pictoris d, in a Well-Studied Young System
Atmospheric signatures in Webb spectra led astronomers to a third giant planet around Beta Pictoris, a result also reported by a separate ESO-based team.
Closer to the Sun, Yet Cooler: Why Venus Out-Burns Mercury
Mercury hugs the Sun, but Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system. A thick carbon dioxide atmosphere, not distance, explains the surprise.
Why Mars Is Red: Rust Dust, and a New Twist on Which Rust
Mars owes its color to oxidized iron in its dust, but a 2025 study argues the key mineral is a water-rich one that hints at a cold, wet past.