The Drifting Star
By 'listening' to a planet-harboring star, astronomers have been able to determine its origin. The discovery may help us better understand star and planet formation.

Star, Dwarf, Planet
Astronomers have discovered the coldest brown dwarf star ever observed. The finding is a step toward filling the gap between stars and planets.

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The world's thinnest material has been used to study the 'fine structure constant', one of physic's universal constants. This number is important because it underlies reactions in stars that generate carbon - a molecule essential for life.

SuperWASP Nets 10 New Planets
By watching for planets that transit in front of their host stars, the SuperWASP system has detected ten new extrasolar planets. SuperWASP data will help astronomers understand how habitable environments might form around distant stars.

Finding More Organics in Space
Researchers have detected a molecule closely related to an amino acid at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. The finding provides more evidence that precursor molecules important for the origin of life can be found in interstellar space.

The Oldest Asteroids
Scientists have discovered three asteroids that appear to be among the oldest objects in the Solar System. Studying these asteroids could yield important clues about the origin and evolution of the planets.

The 'Planet' in Planetary Nebulae
Scientists have found that planets may be partly responsible for the breathtaking appearance of planetary nebula. The research is helping astrobiologists understand the environments in which extrasolar planets develop, and providing insight into the future of our own Solar System.

Spitzer in the Sky, with Diamonds
Researchers have developed a strategy for finding diamonds in space that can be 25,000 times smaller than a grain of sand. These tiny particles could provide insight into the distribution of molecules in the Universe that are important for the origin of life.

Amino Acid Ingredients Found in Distant Galaxy
In the ultra-bright galaxy Arp 220, radio astronomers have for the first time detected all the ingredients of an amino acid beyond the Milky Way. The study confirms that familiar carbon chemistry exists in the distant universe, and could help constrain the search for life.

Finding Planets While They're Hot
Astronomers may have observed the aftermath of a collision between two distant planets. A strange object orbiting a star 170 light-years away doesn't match any theory for planetary formation, and may have been formed by two protoplanets crashing together.