We currently know of more than 5,800 planets beyond the solar system, but we've only found the tiniest fraction of the exoplanets that astronomers think lie elsewhere in the universe.

Fresh results from near-infrared instruments foretell a bright future for finding life elsewhere in the Milky Way ...

Astronomers have found planets that are twice as wide as Jupiter and more than 10 times as heavy, but there's a limit to how big planets can get.

HIGH above us in the distant reaches of space lie planets of every shape, size and colour. But just how many are in the universe, and what is the nearest planet to Earth?

The universe is full of wonders, but some worlds are downright deadly. From searing heat to violent storms, these planets make Earth look like a paradise. Many of them challenge everything we know ...

In another universe, free-range planets could host life A tightly packed cosmos could provide habitable zones at galactic fringes ...

Not all planets have a home. For decades, astronomers and science fiction authors alike have speculated about orphaned orbs cast adrift from their home stars, endlessly wandering the boundless ...

For every Solar System like ours, there may be thousands of planets without stars to orbit.

Data from NASA's Kepler planet-spotting spacecraft hasn't yet proven that we're not alone in the universe, but it does seem to indicate that our planet might not be that special.

There may be many Earth-like planets scattered around the universe, a study has suggested, raising the possibility that other habitable worlds are out there—and that life may have evolved on it.

HIGH above us in the distant reaches of space lie planets of every shape, size and colour. But just how many are in the universe, and what is the nearest planet to Earth?