Exoplanets

Cornell researchers are at the forefront of exoplanet science, using advanced observations and theoretical models to study the atmospheres, climates, composition and detection of planets orbiting distant stars.

Our work combines space- and ground-based observations with sophisticated multi-dimensional atmospheric modeling to understand how exoplanets form, evolve, and potentially support life. Cornell researchers play major roles in observations with the James Webb Space Telescope, which is transforming our ability to characterize alien worlds by detecting molecules such as water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, clouds, and hazes in exoplanet atmospheres. Current projects investigate the chemistry and weather of hot giant planets, warm Neptunes, the nature of rocky super-Earths, and the atmospheres of potentially habitable terrestrial worlds, while also developing new instruments and laboratory experiments to interpret these observations and guide the future of exoplanet exploration.

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Accelerator Physics    Aesthetics & Media Studies    Algebra    Analysis    Analytical    Applied Mathematics    Astrophysics, General Relativity and Cosmology    Atmospheric Spectral Signatures    Bangla    Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Science    Bioinorganic    Biological Physics    Biology Education Research    Bioorganic    Biophysical    Astrobiology    Burmese    Chemical Biology    Chinese (Mandarin)    Cognition    Combinatorics and Discrete Geometry    Community and Urban Sociology    Community Ecology and Population Biology    Comparative and World Literature    Comparative Media Studies    Computational Social Science    Cosmic Origins and Evolution    Critical Studies of Race, Gender & Sexuality    Critical Studies of Race, Gender, and Sexuality    Critical Theory    Culture    Development    Theoretical and Computational Astrophysics    Early Modern Studies    Economy and Society    Engaging With Life on Earth    Evolutionary Patterns and Processes    Experimental Condensed Matter Physics    Experimental Elementary Particle Physics    Exoplanets    Gender    Geometry    Habitable Environments    Hindi-Urdu    Indonesian    Inequality and Social Stratification    Inorganic    Intimate Organismal Interactions and Chemical Ecology    Japanese    Kannada