Using data from NASA’s Kepler mission, a team of astronomers led by Carnegie Institution scientist Dr Brian Jackson has found 13 extrasolar planets with very short orbital periods and so close to their parent stars that they are nearly skimming the stellar surface. This artist’s impression shows the exoplanet Corot-7b, which is so close to its Sun-like host star that it must experience extreme conditions. Image credit: ESO / L. Calcada. Most...
