Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Leslie Katz covers the intersection of culture, science and tech. A yellowish-orange glow bathes Phainoterra, a planet of dramatic ...

Just two decades after astronomers discovered the first exoplanet, NASA has confirmed the existence of 6,000 alien worlds. The total will rise even quicker as next-generation telescopes take flight.

New experimental research demonstrates that sub-Neptune exoplanets, the most common class discovered, could possess large quantities of liquid water. The study simulated early planetary conditions, ...